US intelligence helped Ukraine to shoot down a russian plane with hundreds of troops with the help of air defence at the beginning of putin's invasion of Ukraine, writes NBC News.
When russia launched its invasion, the United States provided Ukrainian forces with detailed information on when and where russian missiles and bombs were to strike, having promptef Ukraine to remove air defences and aircrafts in order not to be damaged by the strikes, current and former US officials told NBC News.
That near real-time intelligence-sharing also allowed Ukraine to shoot down a russian transport plane carrying hundreds of troops in the first days of the war, the officials say. That helped repel a russian assault on a key airport near Kyiv
This was part of what US officials call a large-scale and unprecedented intelligence-sharing operation with a non-NATO partner.
According to them, this played a crucial role in Ukraine's success to date against the larger and better-equipped russian military.
Details of previously unannounced air defences and transport planes explane why US intelligence and the Pentagon's data have become an important factor in helping Ukraine hinder russia's efforts to seize much of the country.
Previously. Intelligence reported that “mopping-up” of russian army for failure of “special operation” has begun.