American intelligence agencies gave highly sensitive data to the Ukrainian armed forces that allowed them to track and kill a dozen Russian generals and sink the Russian flagship Moskva, a new book reveals ā despite strident administration denials.
A āfuriousā President Joe Biden gave āpresidential tongue-lashingsā to CIA chief Bill Burns and other top aides in May after leakers told NBC News and the New York Times that Ukrainians had been given real-time intelligence from US sources.
āHe didnāt like what he considered to be publicly taunting the Russians,ā White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain told author Chris Whipple in the forthcoming book āThe Fight of His Life,ā out Jan. 17.
The reports of secret streams of real-time battlefield intelligence drew a furious response from the Kremlin ā and instant repudiation from the Pentagon, the National Security Council, and Bidenās press office.
āWe do not provide intelligence with the intent to kill Russian generals,ā NSC spokesperson Adrienne Wilson said May 5.
President Biden was reportedly āfuriousā that leakers told media outlets that the US shared intelligence with Ukraine.AP
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki denied that the US shared intelligence that helped Ukraine sink the Moskva.LUIS ACOSTA/AFP via Getty Images
āWe did not provide Ukraine with specific targeting information for the Moskva,ā insisted Jen Psaki, then the White Houseās press secretary. āWe were not involved in the Ukrainiansā decision to strike the ship or in the operation they carried out.ā
The Post has obtained a copy of the book, which contains a string of revelations about Bidenās disastrous pullout from Afghanistan and other incidents from the first two years of his administration.