The USA provides Ukraine with intelligence data to support drone attacks on Russian territory
The USA provides Ukraine with intelligence data that helps organize long-range drone strikes on Russian territory. This support has been a significant factor in enhancing Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities.
According to the Financial Times, citing Ukrainian officials, American intelligence helps choose optimal drone flight routes, allowing evasion of Russian air defense. As a result, Ukraine has significantly increased the number of strikes on Russian oil refineries. Since the beginning of 2026, at least 194 such attacks have been recorded, which is 11 times more than the same period last year, reports Rochan Consulting.
The increase in attacks has been facilitated by several factors, including American intelligence support, scaling up production of long-range drones, and improved operations management. Stefan Meister, head of the program on Eurasian affairs at the German Council on Foreign Relations, believes that Ukraine has achieved significant technological advancements in this field.
Despite the Russian Ministry of Defense’s claims of successfully intercepting most Ukrainian drones, the rise in attacks complicates the defense of strategic sites. According to official Russian data, their air defense supposedly shot down over 63,900 Ukrainian drones in the first half of 2026.
Konrad Muzyka, director of Rochan Consulting, emphasizes that the nature of Ukrainian attacks has changed. Previously, strikes targeted mainly oil infrastructure, but now they aim to broadly weaken Russia’s energy, logistics, industrial, and export systems.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, in February 2026, presented three main goals of the “war plan”: protecting civilians and critical infrastructure, stopping Russian advances in all directions, and reducing the financial capabilities of the Russian Federation. To achieve these goals, tools such as international partnerships, technological advantage, and the use of data for decision-making have been identified.
| Factors that influenced the success of Ukrainian attacks |
|---|
| Support from American intelligence |
| Scaling up the production of long-range drones |
| Improved operations management |
