Financial Times: Western Intelligence Has Helped Ukraine Expand Deep-Strike Capabilities Inside Russia
Western intelligence support from the United States and France has played a critical role in helping Ukraine conduct increasingly effective long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory, according to a report by the Financial Times.
The report says intelligence shared by Kyiv’s Western partners has enabled Ukrainian planners to identify the locations of Russian air defense systems, detect gaps in radar coverage, and map flight paths that allow long-range drones to avoid missile batteries, electronic warfare systems, and other defensive assets before reaching their targets.
According to the Financial Times, the intelligence has become one of Ukraine’s most significant force multipliers, helping transform long-range drone operations into a sustained campaign against military and strategic infrastructure.
Rather than flying directly toward their objectives, Ukrainian drones reportedly follow complex routes designed to exploit weaknesses in Russia’s integrated air defense network. These tactics have contributed to successful strikes on oil refineries, military airfields, logistics centers, industrial facilities, and defense factories located hundreds and in some cases more than a thousand kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
The report notes that Russia’s extensive investment in air defenses has not eliminated vulnerabilities, as even advanced systems cannot provide complete coverage across such a vast territory. Identifying those gaps has become a key element of Ukraine’s deep-strike strategy.
The Financial Times also highlights that Western support extends beyond the delivery of weapons. Intelligence sharing, satellite imagery, electronic surveillance, and battlefield analysis have become central components of Ukraine’s military operations, illustrating how information and intelligence have become as strategically important as conventional firepower in modern warfare.
Neither U.S. nor French officials publicly commented on the specific intelligence activities described in the report.