WASHINGTON — The US quietly allowed Ukraine to use American intelligence to strike targets inside Russian territory with British-made and supplied long-range missiles earlier this week, multiple sources tell The Post.
The Storm Shadow cruise missile slammed into a Russian explosives and rocket fuel plant Tuesday in the Bryansk region, which borders both Ukraine and Belarus — a strike that blew through Moscow’s vaunted air defenses, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.
The Storm Shadow has a range of roughly 180 miles — far shorter than the American Tomahawk’s range of up to 1,500 miles.
Though the weapon used by Ukraine was not American, the US had a say in the target due to Kyiv’s reliance on Washington’s intelligence, according to a defense official.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the US role in the Bryansk strike Wednesday, leading to a sharp denial from President Trump on Truth Social.
“The Wall Street Journal story on the U.S.A.’s approval of Ukraine being allowed to use long range missiles deep into Russia is FAKE NEWS!” the president posted. “The U.S. has nothing to do with those missiles, wherever they may come from, or what Ukraine does with them!”
The new intelligence guidelines let Ukraine bring the fight to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s backyard as Trump laments Moscow’s unwillingness to engage in meaningful steps toward ending the war.
The US policy shift was not publicly announced, but came after authority to approve cross-border strikes was quietly transferred from War Secretary Pete Hegseth to Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich — America’s and NATO’s top commander in Europe, according to a senior congressional aide with knowledge of the matter.
Earlier in Trump’s term, the Pentagon put strict limits on Ukraine’s use of cross-border operations. For months, Hegseth had the final say on whether Kyiv could use Western weapons to hit inside Russia — meaning no strikes were approved until the authority was returned to Grynkewich earlier this month.
The change in authority also happened after the War Department stopped or delayed weapons shipments to Ukraine on at least three occasions.
The White House has been ratcheting up pressure on the Kremlin to come to the negotiating table — even flirting with sending Kyiv US-made Tomahawk missiles.
Trump publicly backed off on that idea Wednesday, but also slapped sanctions on two of Moscow’s key oil exporters, striking at the heart of funding for Putin’s war machine.
Ukraine has already been pounding Russian oil refineries and depots with homegrown drones and short-range missiles, with Trump having given the OK to share US targeting data for those operations.
Washington also recently approved selling Ukraine more than 3,300 Extended Range Attack Munition missiles, capable of flying up to 280 miles — another boost to Kyiv’s arsenal.
The Pentagon referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
