The chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff called Charles Brown, chairman of the U.S. Armed Forces Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), on November 27, Reuters and The New York Times reported on December 4. The conversation took place just six days after Russia’s Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile struck the Dnipro.
According to officials, Gerasimov told the American side during the conversation that the Oreshnik launch had been planned long before the Joe Biden administration agreed to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS ballistic tactical missiles to strike deep into Russia.
U.S. officials said Russia notified Washington shortly before its Oreshnik strike. The United States pledged on December 2 to provide Ukraine with a $725 million security assistance package, including a significant amount of artillery, missiles and air defense equipment.
