UK filled intelligence gap for Ukraine during US pause, expert reveals
Photo: Iskander system (Getty Images)
In March, when the US reduced the provision of intelligence data to Ukraine, Kyiv received it from UK using its own capabilities, states aviation expert Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, who added that there are no equivalents to the American early warning system in Europe.
UK provided data from its own sources
According to Khrapchynskyi, in March, when the US reduced the supply of intelligence data, Ukraine received it from the UK. This was done using the British side's own capabilities.
At the same time, the expert notes that all this intelligence data is a single NATO instrument. Therefore, the UK, while transferring it to Ukraine, was forced to verify all information to ensure it came exclusively from its own sources.
Why Europe cannot replace the American system
There are no equivalents to the US early warning system in Europe. According to Khrapchynskyi, the construction of such a system is entirely linked to the capabilities of the United States. Europe has radar systems that detect targets at long distances but have limitations in response time. Europe uses them for its own defense.
Furthermore, Khrapchynskyi emphasized that throughout the full-scale invasion, the US has never transmitted the locations of launch systems in real time. According to him, examples of their destruction were possible only thanks to Ukrainian capabilities or European assistance.
Read also: Ukraine shoots down up to 85% of Russia's jet-powered drones, but faces critical shortage
Earlier, Yurii Ihnat, Head of Communications at the Air Force, explained that alarm signals might be delayed, and intelligence data from partners sometimes does not reach Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that there was no warning from partners before the attack on the night of October 13. Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha confirmed at the Warsaw Security Forum that intelligence exchange with the US is ongoing. He explained the delay in the alarm signal by a specific type of weaponry, without specifying which one.
