Trump administration plans to give Ukraine additional intelligence to help target oil and gas facilities inside Russia — sources NBC

Trump administration plans to give Ukraine additional intelligence to help target oil and gas facilities inside Russia — sources NBC

The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide Ukraine with intelligence to help carry out missile strikes on Russian oil and gas facilities, according to a report. This move comes amid escalating tensions between the two countries and follows recent attacks on Ukrainian gas facilities by Russian forces.

The intelligence-sharing agreement allows the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies to assist Kyiv in targeting key infrastructure such as oil refineries, pipelines, and other facilities that provide the Kremlin with revenues and resources needed to sustain its war against Ukraine. The Trump administration has also asked NATO allies in Europe to share similar intelligence with Ukraine .

While the U.S. has previously provided Ukraine with support for drone and missile strikes, this marks the first time the administration will assist with long-range strikes against targets inside Russian territory. The administration is also considering arming Ukraine with longer-range firepower, including Tomahawk and Barracuda cruise missiles, capable of hitting targets more than 500 miles away from where they are launched .

The decision comes as the Trump administration has become increasingly supportive of the Ukrainian war effort. Last week, President Trump described Russia as a “paper tiger” based on new U.S. intelligence showing the Kremlin is spiraling toward economic ruin and battlefield defeat as a result of its invasion of Ukraine. The president also expressed his belief that the Ukrainian military could “win all of Ukraine back in its original form” .

The intelligence-sharing agreement and potential sale of long-range missiles come at a time when Russia has been launching major attacks on Ukrainian gas facilities. On Friday, Naftogaz, Ukraine’s largest national oil and gas company, reported that Russian forces had launched the largest strike on its gas production facilities since the start of the invasion in 2022, sustaining critical damage .

In response to the attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Europe of drone attacks and described the strikes as a “deliberate act of terror” aimed at disrupting the heating season and depriving Ukrainians of the ability to heat their homes this winter .

The Trump administration’s plan to provide Ukraine with additional intelligence and potentially long-range missiles signals a sustained commitment to supporting Ukraine’s war effort and disrupting Russia’s ability to finance its military operations. However, the final decision on whether to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles has not yet been made.