U.S. Believes Ukrainians Were Behind an Assassination in Russia
New York TimesOct 05, 2022
On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that US intelligence believes the car bombing near Moscow that killed Daria Dugina in August was authorized by Ukrainian government officials. The report speculates that the clandestine campaign could widen the conflict.
This finding may corroborate elements of Russian allegations that the attack was pre-planned and carried out by Ukrainian special forces - a claim that Ukraine has repeatedly denied.
The war in Ukraine may become even more dangerous if some within the Ukrainian government make attacks like this. The US and international community have tried carefully to prevent unnecessary escalations between Kyiv and Moscow - but the lack of transparency of Ukraine with regards to its military is frustrating. The West and US deeply support Ukraine, but all parties must walk in lockstep on this geopolitical tightrope.
It's hard to believe that the US and its allies were unaware of Ukraine's plans. While the New York Times report exposes Ukraine's covert actions and bolsters transparency, it's likely just a red herring to distance Washington from taking responsibility for similar future schemes against Russia.
There's a 1% chance that Kyiv will be under Russian control before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.