US denies sending targeted intelligence to Ukraine that helped it sink Russia's Moskva warship

• The Pentagon said it did not give "specific targeting information" to Ukraine about Russia's Moskva warship.
• NBC News had reported the US gave Ukraine intelligence that helped sink the flagship vessel.

The Pentagon denied giving targeted intelligence to Ukraine that helped it sink Russia's Moskva warship.

US officials told NBC News that the US gave Ukraine intelligence that helped Ukraine sink the flagship vessel of Russia's Black Sea fleet.

The officials told the outlet that Ukraine asked the US about a ship that was in the Black Sea, and that the US then identified it as the Moskva and confirmed its location, which led to Ukraine attacking it.

Officials also told The New York Times that US intelligence was key to Ukraine being able to sink the ship.

But the Pentagon said it did not send "specific targeting information" about the ship to Ukraine, and said it was not aware that Ukraine intended on destroying the ship.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement on Thursday, CNN reported: "We did not provide Ukraine with specific targeting information for the Moskva."

"We were not involved in the Ukrainians' decision to strike the ship or in the operation they carried out. We had no prior knowledge of Ukraine's intent to target the ship."

The officials had also told NBC News that the US was not aware that Ukraine was going to target the ship, and that the US did not help Ukraine with the decision on whether to target it. They said that the US gives Ukraine maritime information so the country can protect itself from Russian ships.

Ukraine attacked the warship on April 14, striking and sinking the Moskva with anti-ship missiles. Russia said it the ship was brought down by ammunition exploding on board.

It remains unclear how many casualties resulted from the attack, with families of crew members saying last month that they had been left in the dark.

Kirby on Thursday also pushed back on a New York Times report that US intelligence was helping Ukraine target top Russian generals.

"We do not provide intelligence on the location of senior military leaders on the battlefield," he said.