It’s the New York Times which had the scoop on the indiscretions of American intelligence. According to official sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, the car bomb assassination which claimed the life of journalist and political scientist Daria Douguina on August 20 was ordered by “part of the Ukrainian government”.
“The United States did not participate in the attack, either through the provision of intelligence or through any other form of assistance”insisted the sources with the New York daily, adding that they “had not been informed of the operation beforehand, and that if they had been consulted, they would have opposed it”.
The American authorities would even have “reprimand” Ukrainian officials after the operation, considering that such an attack, “purely symbolic”had only “little impact on the battlefield and could push Moscow to carry out its own operations against senior Ukrainian officials”Write the New York Times.
Le magazines Forbes emphasizes that we “unclear which members of the Ukrainian government would be involved, and whether President Volodymyr Zelensky knew about the operation”.
Russian accusations
For many observers, the target of the attack was actually the victim’s father, Alexander Dougin, who should have been in the car with his daughter. The ideologue and philosopher, an ardent defender of the annexation of Ukraine, is known for his ultra-nationalist positions – positions that his daughter shared.
At the end of August, Russian intelligence “had accused the Ukrainian secret services” of having ordered the operation, entrusted according to him to two Ukrainian nationals, Natalia Voyk and Bogdan Petrovich Tsyganenko, recalls The Hill. The Ukrainian authorities then denied, once again, their involvement in the assassination.
The latter camped Wednesday on the same position, despite the American accusations. “Once again, I want to emphasize that any murder in wartime, in one country or another, must have some form of justification”told the New York Times Mykhailo Podolyak, conseiller du president Zelensky. “He has to fulfill a specific purpose, be it tactical or strategic. But someone like Dougina is not a tactical or strategic target for Ukraine”.
Frustration de Washington
Pour CNNif the information on “the involvement of Ukraine are accurate, it would be a sign of a significant increase in power of Ukrainian covert operations”.
“Up to now, Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil have been limited to attacks on fuel depots and military bases, in towns on the Russian-Ukrainian border, such as Belgorod. But the United States has no real visibility on the attacks planned by Ukraine”specifies the American chain.
This is also a source of frustration for Washington, which deplores “Ukraine’s lack of transparency on its military and covert operations, particularly on Russian territory”despite the substantial military aid provided by the United States, notes the New York Times.
Insider wonders for his part about the motivations of American intelligence. “For the United States, the need to distance itself from such an attack on Russian soil – or to discourage future assassinations – could explain the timing of these leaks, which come at the time of a victorious counteroffensive” Ukrainian forces “made possible in large part by American weaponry and intelligence sharing”writes the site.