Consider this an escalation once President Trump is briefed. Overnight, someone, claimed by media to be Ukraine, launched a targeted series of drone attacks against the KINEF oil refinery in the Leningrad region of Russia.
The refinery is approximately 800 to 1,000 kilometers from where western intelligence operators are assembled to support Ukraine. This distance means someone within NATO has violated President Trump’s order to withdraw ‘long-range’ targeting system operation, and/or someone within NATO has provided an alternative. [SEE MAP]
When President Trump stopped “intelligence sharing” with Ukraine, what he technically did was stop allowing Ukraine to use exclusive USA targeting systems controlled by U.S Intelligence, the CIA, the National Reconnaissance Office and the U.S. National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.
These terrain mapping systems, the missile and drone targeting systems, are what military forces inside Ukraine need to carry out offensive drone and missile attacks against Russian forces. However, two drones were launched on the night of Saturday March 8th and were shot down as they approached the KINEF refinery, damaging one external oil tank.
Who launched them, and what targeting system was used?
RBC Ukraine – […] At night, unidentified drones attacked an oil refinery in the Leningrad region of Russia. It is claimed that air defense systems shot down two drones, according to the Telegram account of the region’s governor, Alexander Drozdenko.
On the night of March 8, the KINEF oil refinery in Kirishi, Leningrad region of Russia, was attacked by drones.
“The UAV attack on KINEF in the Kirishi district has been repelled. Air defense forces shot down one drone on approach, and the other was destroyed over the plant’s territory,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to the governor, the debris from the downed drone damaged the external structure of one of the tanks. There were no reported casualties.
It is worth noting that the Kinef oil refinery (Kirishinefteorgsintez) is one of the largest in Russia. (more)
VIA REUTERS – MOSCOW (Reuters) – A tank at Russia’s Kirishi refinery, one of the country’s largest, was damaged by falling debris during a Ukrainian drone attack, the governor of the northwestern Leningrad region said on Saturday.
Surgutneftegaz’s Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) refinery is one of the top two refineries in Russia. It refines about 17.7 million tons per year (355,000 barrels per day) of Russian crude, or 6.4% of the total, according to industry sources.
[…] The refinery produces about 2.3 million tons of gasoline – 5.3% of Russia’s total – 7.6% of its diesel fuel, 16.3% of its fuel oil and 3.4% of the country’s aviation fuel, according to industry sources. (more)
The drones were launched from Ukraine?
The KINEF refinery is quite a long distance from the Western Ukraine region under the control of Zelenskyy and NATO allies. Beyond the issue of who controlled the drones, how was the drone targeting system used and who provided it?
♦ WATCH FOR THIS – The U.S. is still sharing the targeting information with the U.K and NATO allies. However, if the NATO/EU/UK/CIA use the targeting system it will be very obvious; attacks against ‘Russian territory’ be visible. That’s all the proof needed.
If any long-range missile/drone operations continue, then someone is violating the Trump order. There is no other way to look at it.
At that point, something rather radical is likely to be announced by President Trump that shreds every facet of the U.S. relationship with NATO, the UK and even the Five-Eyes consortium.
Geopolitically, every player mentioned is well aware of this dynamic. Hence, the apoplexy we are witnessing.
It looks like it’s time to increase the Big Ugly impact hammer!
The EU needs to understand what FAFO means in Trump term-2.
These schemes and trouble-stirring operations by the EU will likely continue as the U.S delegation meets with the Ukrainian delegation in Riyad, Saudi Arabia next week.