Today, The Washington Post, citing leaked classified documents and its "anonymous" sources, reported that Ukrainian intelligence allegedly planned massive strikes on moscow on the anniversary of the full-scale invasion on February 24, but abandoned it at the request of the United States.
In response to the article, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, tweeted:
"Why do this? What task would such a one-time action solve? Would it change the course of the war? Would it make the russians flee? Would it cancel (Ukraine's) need for weapons? <...> Such publications, with the obligatory reference to "anonymous sources," fulfill only one catastrophic function: they shape public opinion in Western capitals as if Ukraine were an unreasonable, infantile, and impulsive country that is dangerous for adults to trust with serious weapons. Whether this is done consciously or unconsciously is another question," he wrote.
Вчергове бачимо дивну медіа/сенсацію… «На річницю війни Україна планувала завдати удари по Москві всім, що в неї є, але партнери відмовили», – конспірологічно повідомляють поважні американські ЗМІ. Звісно, без деталей та без логіки. І тому одразу одне просте питання. А навіщо…
– Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) April 24, 2023
Podolyak added that Ukraine really needs long-range missiles and aircraft, but for attacks on russian logistics and fortifications in the occupied territories.
According to the newspaper, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Kyrylo Budanov, allegedly instructed one of his subordinates to "prepare for massive strikes on February 24... with everything the GUR has at its disposal."
On February 22, two days before the anniversary of the outbreak of war, the CIA released a new secret document stating that the GUR "agreed to Washington's request to postpone strikes" on moscow.
The documents do not specify who exactly opposed the strikes and why Ukrainian officials changed their minds.
In addition, according to the newspaper, Budanov seems to know that he has become a target of surveillance. During his previous interviews with Washington Post journalists at the GUR headquarters, he played music or made static noise.
Background. Earlier, Kyrylo Budanov said that only russia benefited from the Pentagon Papers leak.