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U.S. Lacks a Clear Picture of Ukraine’s War Strategy, Officials Say
The New York Times ^ | June 8, 2022 | Julian E. Barnes

Posted on 06/13/2022 10:48:22 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has provided near-daily updates of Russia’s invasion on social media; viral video posts have shown the effectiveness of Western weapons in the hands of Ukrainian forces; and the Pentagon has regularly held briefings on developments in the war.

But despite the flow of all this news to the public, American intelligence agencies have less information than they would like about Ukraine’s operations and possess a far better picture of Russia’s military, its planned operations and its successes and failures, according to current and former officials.

Governments often withhold information from the public for operational security. But these information gaps within the U.S. government could make it more difficult for the Biden administration to decide how to target military aid as it sends billions of dollars in weapons to Ukraine.

U.S. officials said the Ukrainian government gave them few classified briefings or details about their operational plans, and Ukrainian officials acknowledged that they did not tell the Americans everything.

Of course the U.S. intelligence community collects information about nearly every country, including Ukraine. But American spy agencies, in general, focus their collection efforts on adversarial governments, like Russia, not current friends, like Ukraine. And while Russia has been a top priority for American spies for 75 years, when it came to the Ukrainians, the United States has worked on building up their intelligence service, not spying on their government.

The result, former officials said, has been some blind spots.

“How much do we really know about how Ukraine is doing?” said Beth Sanner, a former senior intelligence official. “Can you find a person who will tell you with confidence how many troops has Ukraine lost, how many pieces of equipment has Ukraine lost?”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: 10percent4bigguy; julianebarnes; quicksendmoremoney; ukraineislosing
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1 posted on 06/13/2022 10:48:22 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

“How much do we really know about how Ukraine is doing?” said Beth Sanner, a former senior intelligence official. “Can you find a person who will tell you with confidence how many troops has Ukraine lost, how many pieces of equipment has Ukraine lost?”

NYT is preparing the audience to the fact that the entire war narrative until now was a propaganda.


2 posted on 06/13/2022 11:04:00 PM PDT by NorseViking
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To: NorseViking

You really expect to get any truth from the NY Slime? Look how they covered for Lenin with Walter Duranty. All the news that’s fit to print really means never let the truth get in the way of our agenda.


3 posted on 06/13/2022 11:13:03 PM PDT by Fungi
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Cokehead Zelensky will sell us some clarity for a few billion more.


4 posted on 06/13/2022 11:28:22 PM PDT by proust (All posts made under this handle are, for the intents and purposes of the author, considered satire.)
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To: NorseViking
NYT is preparing the audience to the fact that the entire war narrative until now was a propaganda.

The cat is on the roof.

5 posted on 06/13/2022 11:40:56 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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1.) The Jimmy Dore Show, 6/11/22

Ukraine Should Admit Defeat NOW! Says Top U.S Military Leader

https://youtu.be/A9bnFWmHggk

2.) Ukraine forces outgunned up to 40 to one by Russian forces, intelligence report reveals (6/9/22)

https://news.yahoo.com/intelligence-report-reveals-ukraine-forces-174236886.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

3.) Ukraine is running out of ammunition as prospects dim on the battlefield (6/12/22)

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4070605/posts

4.) Cases of desertion are growing among Ukrainian forces suffering significant losses in Russia’s artillery onslaught, report says (6/11/22)

https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-troops-deserting-russias-artillery-onslaught-takes-toll-report-says-2022-6

5.) ‘They’re Wiping Us From Earth’: Evading Russian Artillery With a Ukrainian Military Unit (6/12/22)

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/ukrainian-military-unit-russia-artillery-1365021/


6 posted on 06/13/2022 11:48:26 PM PDT by Its All Over Except ...
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To: All

If Ukraine defines the war objective to be complete expulsion of Russian forces from its claimed territory, then it is failing. It they define it as holding Russian forces within zones that Russia claims, then things are going so-so. If they define it as keeping Russia out of portions of Ukraine not yet over-run, then things are going okay but some concerns obviously exist.

There, that wasn’t too difficult. What do they pay a senior analyst?


7 posted on 06/13/2022 11:51:32 PM PDT by Peter ODonnell (If only one of those bears Putin wrestled had won)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Starting to play the blame game is not a good sign.


8 posted on 06/13/2022 11:52:20 PM PDT by McGruff (Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f*** things up - Barack Obama)
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To: MinorityRepublican
The same U.S. government, that alongside NATO,
has intelligence out the ying yang covering the invasion,
is in daily contact with Ukraine's government,
since the invasion started nearly four months ago,
still has no idea what Ukraine's long term strategy is?

Riiight.... /s/

9 posted on 06/13/2022 11:53:40 PM PDT by Widget Jr (Disobey your television.)
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To: Peter ODonnell

The second objective is very vague.
I think their main objective is to destroy the pro-Russian areas and leave the rest of the countries in ruins, before the leadership can evacuate to the UK and spend their Swiss bank accounts.


10 posted on 06/13/2022 11:54:52 PM PDT by NorseViking
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To: kiryandil

LOL. Precisely.


11 posted on 06/14/2022 12:24:26 AM PDT by NorseViking
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To: MinorityRepublican

What an absolutely stunning revelation...


12 posted on 06/14/2022 12:27:59 AM PDT by Clutch Martin ("The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right." )
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To: MinorityRepublican

The strategy is to fight and lose a proxy war against Russia for The U.S. and NATO and also to give Biden something to blame for his devastating leadership failures back home.


13 posted on 06/14/2022 12:36:01 AM PDT by McCarthysGhost (q)
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To: kiryandil

Cat was on the roof for 12 years.


14 posted on 06/14/2022 12:36:10 AM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: McGruff

My question is what do the Germans see that we do not? What does Poland see? They are closer than we are and they understand Russia better than we do. Looks like Each day holding the line is a win for Ukraine. But if they crack and retreat—they Ukraine Army will run all the way back to Kiev. Mr. Z must do one of three things. 1) Get the USA to pour in troops to help them, by hook or by crook. 2) Manage to get a great Victory in Donbass that will send the Russians back. Or... 3) Make Peace before they lose Odessa and their only Black Sea port. The Russian Land Bridge to Crimea is not going to fold even with US support and the 101 Airborn troops.


15 posted on 06/14/2022 12:36:32 AM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade ( Ride to the sound of the Guns!)
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To: McCarthysGhost

“The strategy is to fight and lose a proxy war against Russia for The U.S. and NATO and also to give Biden something to blame for his devastating leadership failures back home.”

And get the big guy’s 10%


16 posted on 06/14/2022 12:37:27 AM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: ifinnegan
And get the big guy’s 10%

12%.

Putin's Price Hike.

17 posted on 06/14/2022 12:48:48 AM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: Forward the Light Brigade

They had a chance to have peace until early March. Nobody in Russia is going to believe Ze anymore. Odessa is going to be Russian and Kharkov too. The rest aren’t on high list of priorities, but going to be Russian unless there is a regime change in Ukraine and new administration willing to accept whatever Russian terms. The first will be to kick the US Embassy out.


18 posted on 06/14/2022 1:15:42 AM PDT by NorseViking
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To: MinorityRepublican

Oh, that war is so “yesterday”. Today the focus is on abortion. Tomorrow it will be racism again.

Try to keep up.


19 posted on 06/14/2022 1:25:52 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
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To: NorseViking

Shirley you can’t be serious !
That’s BETH SANNER, a former Senior intelligence official!

We’ve done tol’ you ..


20 posted on 06/14/2022 1:47:15 AM PDT by A strike ("My country sux" is grounds for asylum?!?)
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