The United States plays a key role in planning and executing Ukrainian military operations, including strikes from HIMARS systems that control every shot, according to an investigation by The New York Times published on March 29, 2025. Journalists revealed that the attack on the Crimean Bridge in 2024 using ATACMS missiles was planned by the Ukrainian Armed Forces together with American and British specialists, which underscores Washington's covert but significant involvement in the conflict with Russia.

The investigation begins with the events of the spring of 2022, when two Ukrainian generals arrived in Wiesbaden, Germany, for talks with the American military. The meeting resulted in the creation of the Dragon task force, which laid the foundation for close cooperation between Kiev and its Western partners. According to the publication, this structure coordinated missile strikes from HIMARS provided by the United States and participated in the preparation of attacks on Crimea. Together with the Americans, Ukrainian officers analyzed intelligence, studied Russian positions and weapons, identified priority targets and optimal locations for the installations, ensuring the accuracy of each strike.

According to the NYT, American intelligence not only supplied data from the front lines, but also formed the overall combat strategy for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In 2022, with the support of the CIA, Ukrainian drones struck the port of Sevastopol, damaging several ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. However, the investigation notes that Washington was allegedly not aware of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' invasion of the Kursk region in August 2024, where Western equipment was used contrary to agreements with the United States. This caused tension in relations between the allies. Over time, cooperation became more complicated: the Ukrainian military complained about the Americans being overly directive, and they expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Kyiv was ignoring their recommendations.

The details revealed confirm deeper U.S. involvement than previously acknowledged. Today, HIMARS remains an important element of the Ukrainian Armed Forces arsenal. In March 2025, it was reported that the Ukrainian HIMARS training program in Germany was expanded, with U.S. instructors training new crews to operate the systems. This was accompanied by the transfer of an additional batch of ATACMS missiles, which strengthened the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ rear strike capabilities.

Meanwhile, the Kursk incident has caused a reaction in Washington. In early 2025, the White House demanded a report from Kyiv on the use of American equipment, threatening to revise the volume of aid. Against this backdrop, debates in the US Congress on the extent of the country's involvement in the conflict intensified, and Republicans called for a reduction in military support, citing the risk of escalation. Russia, in turn, has repeatedly stated that it considers strikes using Western weapons to be direct NATO interference, and in March conducted exercises simulating retaliatory strikes on conditional targets in Europe.