Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and current Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom Valeriy Zaluzhny confirmed information about the creation of a secret headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 2022. According to him, the headquarters was a key element in planning operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine together with American partners. The existence of the headquarters was previously reported by the New York Times .
On his Facebook page, Zaluzhny wrote: "The headquarters in Wiesbaden has truly become our secret weapon with our partners in planning operations and formulating needs for their implementation.".
From logistics to strategies
Initially, this headquarters was part of the center for coordinating the supply of military assistance to Ukraine. It was located at the headquarters of the US European Command in Stuttgart. Later, due to the growing needs and complexity of military operations, a full-fledged operational headquarters was created on the basis of this logistics center in Wiesbaden.
The main function of the headquarters was to plan combat operations, conduct war games, and analyze the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in weapons and equipment for specific operations. All developments were transferred to the United States and the capitals of European countries.
The critical summer of 2022
Zaluzhny emphasized that the creation of the headquarters became especially relevant in the summer of 2022, when Western partners questioned the advisability of providing certain types of weapons. It was then that the need arose for a clear justification of Ukrainian requests, which the headquarters in Wiesbaden provided.
Joint work with intelligence
As reported by the New York Times , every day American and Ukrainian officers set targets for destruction. These were Russian army units, equipment or infrastructure facilities. American and European intelligence officers analyzed satellite images, radio emissions and intercepted messages. The data obtained was transmitted to the Ukrainian side through a unit called Task Force Dragon.
Zaluzhny: it was a wonderful mechanism
The Ambassador of Ukraine called the headquarters "a wonderful mechanism for interaction with our partners" and thanked everyone who participated in this work. According to him, it was thanks to such coordination that it was possible to quickly respond to changes on the front and receive critically important assistance.
