I suspect everyone, including Vladimir Putin and the Russian military, suspected this was the case, but it is bracing to see this confirmed on page A1 of the New York Times:
The United States has provided intelligence about Russian units that has allowed Ukrainians to target and kill many of the Russian generals who have died in action in the Ukraine war, according to senior American officials.
Ukrainian officials said they have killed approximately 12 generals on the front lines, a number that has astonished military analysts.
First, if the Biden administration and intelligence community are going to do this, they probably shouldn’t call up the New York Times and tell the world that they are doing this. Why are the words, “no comment” so hard to say?
The Times article notes that, “The administration has sought to keep much of the battlefield intelligence secret, out of fear it will be seen as an escalation and provoke President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia into a wider war.” Yes, and this is why “senior American officials” shouldn’t be talking to the Times about it!
The Times article now says, “after this article published, Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokeswoman, said in a statement that the battlefield intelligence was not provided to the Ukrainians ‘with the intent to kill Russian generals.’”
What exactly did the National Security Council think that the Ukrainians were going to do with that information? Send those Russian generals a sternly worded letter? Prank call them?
Second, this means the U.S. is kind-of, sort-of at war with Russia. Putin has always been a fan of “gray zone” tactics, where it’s not quite outright war but clearly not peace, a consistent level of harassment, intimidation, and probing that is just beneath the level that would start an all-out war. Now, he’s getting a taste of the American version. We’re not pulling the trigger, we’re just putting weapons in the hands of Ukrainians and telling them precisely where to shoot.
Third — and I say this as a fan of the U.S. government using lethal force against threats; a Cold War kid who has never trusted the Russians; and someone who thinks those Russian generals are getting what they deserve, particularly if they have committed war crimes — if we’re going to get into a quasi-state of war with Russia, shouldn’t Congress get to weigh in on this decision in some form?