The United States has quietly deepened its involvement in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, providing Kyiv with crucial intelligence that has enabled a string of successful attacks on Russian energy infrastructure far from the battlefield. According to a series of reports from The Financial Times, Rappler, and The Moscow Times, this campaign—intensified since mid-summer 2025—marks a significant escalation in Western support for Ukraine’s efforts to weaken Russia’s economy and pressure President Vladimir Putin toward peace negotiations.
Behind the scenes, U.S. intelligence agencies have been working hand-in-glove with Ukrainian forces, offering detailed information that shapes the planning and execution of long-range drone strikes on oil refineries and other vital energy assets deep inside Russian territory. This collaboration, which had not been previously disclosed in such detail, reportedly ramped up following a pivotal phone call in July 2025 between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
During that call, President Trump asked Zelenskyy whether Ukraine could strike Moscow if Washington provided long-range weapons, according to sources cited by The Financial Times. Trump went further, expressing support for a strategy designed to “make them [the Russians] feel pain” and force the Kremlin to the negotiating table. While the White House later clarified that Trump “was simply asking a question, not encouraging further killings,” several officials familiar with the matter told The Financial Times that the conversation marked a turning point in U.S. policy toward Ukrainian long-range strikes.
From that moment, American intelligence support for Ukraine’s drone campaign intensified. U.S. agencies began providing Kyiv with detailed data to help plan flight paths, altitude, timing, and mission decisions for long-range drones, allowing them to evade Russian air defenses. Three people familiar with the operation told The Financial Times that Washington has been closely involved in every stage of planning. "Ukraine selects the targets for strikes," a U.S. official explained, "and Washington then provides intelligence on the vulnerabilities of those sites." Other sources said the U.S. also identifies priority targets, effectively turning Ukrainian drones into a "tool" for Washington’s broader strategy to sap Russia’s economic strength.
The scope and impact of these strikes have been significant. Since August, Ukraine has ramped up drone attacks on Russian oil and gas facilities, with Bloomberg estimating that roughly one in three Russian refineries has been hit. At least four major refineries—including the Novokuybyshev refinery, Gazprom’s Astrakhan gas processing plant, and Rosneft’s Ryazan refinery—were partially or fully shut down following drone strikes in September. In October, the campaign continued with attacks on the Antipinsky refinery in Tyumen, Slavneft-YANOS in Yaroslavl, Rosneft’s Tuapse refinery, Orsknefteorgsintez in Orenburg, and Kinef in the Leningrad region. A fire at Kinef forced the shutdown of its main unit, which accounted for about 40% of its processing capacity, according to The Moscow Times.
The consequences for Russia’s energy sector have been profound. National refining output has plunged to 4.86 million barrels per day—nearly 10% lower than in July and the lowest level in at least five years. According to Russia’s state statistics agency Rosstat, retail gasoline prices jumped 2.58% in September, the steepest monthly increase since 2018. On an annual basis, prices soared 12.73%, the fastest pace in 14 years. The damage has forced Russia to limit fuel exports, increase imports from Belarus, and even turn to China and other Asian countries for supplies. Fuel shortages and long lines at filling stations have been reported in 57 regions, with local authorities imposing limits on gasoline sales.
The Kremlin has not been silent about these developments. Moscow claimed in October that Washington and its NATO allies were regularly supplying intelligence to Kyiv. “The supply and use of the entire infrastructure of NATO and the United States to collect and transfer intelligence to Ukrainians is obvious,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, as cited by Rappler. However, both the White House and the Ukrainian government have declined to comment publicly on the specifics of the intelligence-sharing arrangement.
For President Trump, the campaign represents a marked shift from his earlier, more cautious stance on Ukraine. After a lackluster summit with Putin in Alaska earlier in 2025, which yielded little progress, Trump reportedly grew frustrated with the Russian leader. Last month, he publicly stated that Ukraine could not only win back all of its territory from Russia but potentially go even further—a major pivot from his previous lukewarm support for Kyiv. According to The Financial Times, this frustration contributed to Trump’s backing of the long-range strike strategy.
The intelligence-sharing effort is part of a broader push to pressure Putin into negotiations. “This is a tool for Washington to weaken Russia’s economy and push Putin toward an agreement,” one source involved in the operations told The Financial Times. On October 11, President Zelenskyy described a recent conversation with Trump as “positive and productive,” saying they discussed “opportunities to bolster our air defense, as well as concrete agreements that we are working on to ensure this. There are good options and solid ideas on how to truly strengthen us,” Zelenskyy posted on X, as reported by Rappler.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has also asked NATO allies to provide similar intelligence support to Ukraine, according to two U.S. officials who spoke with Reuters. This coordinated approach underscores the West’s commitment to sustaining pressure on Russia’s energy sector, which remains a critical pillar of the country’s economy and its ability to fund the war effort.
The Russian government, for its part, has responded with a mixture of denial and domestic crackdowns. As The Moscow Times noted, Russian authorities have labeled the publication an “undesirable” organization and a “foreign agent,” moves widely seen as attempts to stifle independent journalism in the country. Despite these challenges, the facts on the ground—crippled refineries, rising fuel prices, and mounting shortages—paint a stark picture of the toll the strikes are taking.
For ordinary Russians, the impact is increasingly hard to ignore. Long lines at gas stations, rationed fuel, and surging prices have become a daily reality in dozens of regions. Local authorities have scrambled to impose sales limits, but the disruptions show no sign of abating. While the Kremlin insists that Western support for Ukraine will not alter the course of the war, the economic pain is mounting—and so too is the pressure on Putin’s government to seek a negotiated end to the conflict.
As the clandestine partnership between Washington and Kyiv continues to unfold, the world is left watching to see whether this high-stakes gambit will achieve its ultimate goal: bringing Russia to the negotiating table, or simply deepening the scars of a war with no clear end in sight.
