The U.S. is providing spy-satellite imagery to Ukraine to help in its fight against Russia-backed rebels, but with a catch: the images are significantly degraded to avoid provoking Russia or compromising U.S. secrets.
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| Fighters of the Azov Battalion, a voluntary militia group fighting along with the Ukrainian army, take part in military exercises near the port city of Mariupol on Friday. Photo: Agence France-Presse/Getty Images |
The White House agreed last year to Ukraine’s request to provide the photos and other intelligence. But before delivering them, U.S. officials black out military staging areas on Russian territory and reduce the resolution so that enemy formations can’t be clearly made out, making them less useful to Ukrainian military commanders.
Those steps, which delay the delivery of the images by at least 24 hours, are designed to keep the U.S. out of the so-called kill chain—military jargon for the stages of lethal operations—because of concerns that furnishing actionable intelligence to the Ukrainians could trigger a more aggressive Russian military response.
The images also are being obscured to reduce the risk that, if the Russians were to obtain them, they could glean important intelligence about U.S. satellite capabilities.
The U.S. effort to keep its distance goes beyond intelligence sharing. Last fall, the U.S. delivered short-range radars to Ukraine to help its forces pinpoint incoming mortar and artillery fire, but withheld key components needed to make the system more effective.
Ukrainian officials say the limitations have hampered the ability of their forces to counter separatists who receive advanced training and equipment from Moscow. Russia has consistently denied aiding the rebels.
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| A rebel Grad rocket system is deployed at a cemetery |
The separatists gained significant ground in a new offensive early this year, narrowing the options for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as he headed into European-brokered peace talks in early February. Even after a cease-fire was signed Feb. 12, days of heavy bombardment forced Ukrainian troops to abandon the strategic hub of Debaltseve.
While the fighting has subsided in recent days, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a congressional committee Thursday that the separatists were likely to continue to advance toward the city of Mariupol, which because of its port and industrial assets would improve the economic viability of the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.
... The image resolution provided is similar to what commercial satellites produce, according to both U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian commanders say they often can’t use the imagery because it is so out of date by the time they get it. ...Read the full story HERE.
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