US officials tried to stop Ukraine from killing high-ranking Russian general who was on a risky visit to the front lines, report says

[Valletta]

The US tried to prevent Ukraine from killing a high-ranking Russian military official at the onset of Russia's war in Ukraine, according to an investigation published Saturday by The New York Times.

In April, Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimov made plans to travel to Russia's frontlines, according to The Times. American officials found out about Gerasimov's plans but decided to keep the information from Ukraine.

US officials tried to stop Ukraine from killing high-ranking Russian general who was on a risky visit to the front lines, report says

US officials withheld the information from Ukraine because they believed it would "sharply escalate" the conflict.

www.insider.com

These Biden administration people have no problem in leaking damaging information. It's not their lives at stake.

 

[That Guy 11200]

Considering the incompetence of Russia's invasion, it might have been counterproductive to kill the idiot.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

These Biden administration people have no problem in leaking damaging information. It's not their lives at stake.

Can you explain what you feel is damaging about this?

 

[Valletta]

Can you explain what you feel is damaging about this?

Sure. If the goal is to see an enemy defeated, in this case Russia, you don't want to reveal to that enemy what you will do and what you will not do.
For example, when Joe said that he would allow a minor incursion, Putin took that as a green light to invade Ukraine with confidence that the U.S. would not enter the war. All he had to do was paint it as an incursion. When the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the U.S. did not reveal how many atomic bombs they had.

 

[Nithavela]

For example, when Joe said that he would allow a minor incursion, Putin took that as a green light to invade Ukraine with confidence that the U.S. would not enter the war.

If that's what really happened (which I find unlikely), that would only show that Putin has a severe lack of reading comprehension.

 

[Valletta]

If that's what really happened (which I find unlikely), that would only show that Putin has a severe lack of reading comprehension.

That's what happened.

 

[Tinker Grey]

That's what happened.

Citation required.

 

[wing2000]

from the NYT: (American officials viewed killing a top general as an escalation risk....which IMO, is a valid concern. In any case, the General was not killed....)

American officials realized early on that they had vastly overestimated Russia’s military. The morale of rank-and-file soldiers was so low, the Americans said, that Russia began moving its generals to the front lines to shore it up.

But the generals made a deadly mistake: They positioned themselves near antennas and communications arrays, making them easy to find, the Americans said.

Ukraine started killing Russian generals, yet the risky Russian visits to the front lines continued. Finally, in late April, the Russian chief of the general staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, made secret plans to go himself.

American officials said they found out, but kept the information from the Ukrainians, worried they would strike. Killing General Gerasimov could sharply escalate the conflict, officials said, and while the Americans were committed to helping Ukraine, they didn’t want to set off a war between the United States and Russia.

The Ukrainians learned of the general’s plans anyway, putting the Americans in a bind. After checking with the White House, senior American officials asked the Ukrainians to call off the attack.

“We told them not to do it,” a senior American official said. “We were like, ‘Hey, that’s too much.’”

The message arrived too late. Ukrainian military officials told the Americans that they had already launched their attack on the general's position.

Dozens of Russians were killed in the strike, officials said. General Gerasimov wasn’t one of them.

Russian military leaders scaled back their visits to the front after that.

Putin’s War: The Inside Story of a Catastrophe

Secret battle plans, intercepted communications and Russian soldiers explain how a “walk in the park” became a catastrophe for Russia.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Nithavela]

That's what happened.

If you want to believe that, go right ahead.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Sure. If the goal is to see an enemy defeated, in this case Russia, you don't want to reveal to that enemy what you will do and what you will not do.

Revealing a line that we didn't want crossed in April, 8 months later, says nothing about what we will and will not do now. Much has changed since then.

 

[Blade]

were talking about Joe Biden? The guy that just told another whopper of a lie. As a believer in Jesus Christ the one that died for the worlds sin the only way to the Father.. what Ukraine has been doing to believers I care about greatly. See even if they didn't believe and were treated the same I would care the same. Can't speak for anyone else though. Why bring this up? Odd it gets no news from the left.

 

[comana]

were talking about Joe Biden? The guy that just told another whopper of a lie. As a believer in Jesus Christ the one that died for the worlds sin the only way to the Father.. what Ukraine has been doing to believers I care about greatly. See even if they didn't believe and were treated the same I would care the same. Can't speak for anyone else though. Why bring this up? Odd it gets no news from the left.

What are you talking about?

 

[FreeinChrist]

ADVISOR HAT

This thread had a clean up of off topic and flaming posts and posts that responded to them.

Keep it on topic and civil. ​

 

[Homeowner]

what Ukraine has been doing to believers I care about greatly.

You mean Russian Orthodox church that tells Russian soldiers that dying while killing their fellow Slavs and Christians in Ukraine washes away all their sins ?

Those believers ?

Muslim mosques preaching killing of infidels get shut down pretty fast in the West how is this any different ?

 

[Arcangl86]

Revealing a line that we didn't want crossed in April, 8 months later, says nothing about what we will and will not do now. Much has changed since then.

And honestly, the fact that we tried to encourage moderation from the Ukrainians earlier gives us more credibility if we try to end this diplomatically.