Apparently, secret documents from US agencies about the Russian offensive war in Ukraine have been circulating on social networks on the Internet for weeks. In the US, the media reports the sensitive material about both warring parties for days without publishing the sensitive documents themselves. It is also unclear who uncovered the documents circulated on pro-Russian channels weeks ago.
The Bellingcat investigative network proved that some documents were subsequently manipulated. Some questions and answers about the leaks:
What exactly does the publication say?
According to US media reports, the published classified documents contain information about arms transfers to Ukraine and information about ammunition consumption. There are also maps showing the course of the front and the locations of Russian and Ukrainian troops and their strong points. Some of the documents marked “secret” came from February and March, as the news portal “Politico” reported.
Accordingly, there was also information on NATO and US plans on how to prepare and arm the Ukrainian army for an upcoming spring offensive. Details on the number and type of planned arms deliveries and expected delivery dates are also provided.
Precarious information about US intelligence agencies
Analyzes and information about other countries, such as China or Israel, are also included in the documents, writes the Washington Post newspaper. It also partly shows how the American secret services have collected the information and who the sources are. The documents apparently came from various US intelligence agencies and even from the US Armed Forces High Command, the Wall Street Journal reported. It looks like briefing papers, it said.
Are the documents authentic?
Expert Aric Toler of the research network Bellingcat discovered that the documents were doing the rounds on the video game platform Discord, which is popular among gamers – and were then also spread on the news network by Russian users, for example. So they could be real, but he also showed that some documents were clearly manipulated afterwards.
US broadcaster CNN reported that government officials had confirmed the authenticity of the documents. The US authorities appear to be taking the matter very seriously. Both the Pentagon and the Justice Department were investigating the incidents, the media reported unanimously. US President Joe Biden is “concerned” about the amount of documents that have been made public, a senior administration official confirmed to Politico.
Who is behind the leak?
It is not clear who published the documents. There is now a feverish search for the mole. The investigations were primarily inward-looking, CNN reports, citing government circles. Photographs of printouts of the secret documents can be seen on the Internet.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of employees and outsiders with the proper level of security would have had access, a Defense Department official told the Washington Post. Such violations are among the most serious crimes against US national security, a former US Air Force attorney told the paper.
How could the leak affect the war?
The documents could harm Ukraine and the US in various ways. Even though they are a few weeks old, they can still provide valuable information to Moscow, Dmitri Alperovitch, head of the Silverado Policy Accelerator think tank, told the Washington Post. While they contained no concrete battle plans, they did show the type and quantity of Western weapons that had arrived on Ukraine’s battlefields, how many soldiers they could use, and how Ukraine planned to defend itself against Russian attacks.
The documents also revealed the extent to which the Russian security apparatus had been penetrated by US secret services, the New York Times reported. That gives Moscow information on where its weaknesses are.
How did Ukraine and Russia react to the publication?
Ukraine has been claiming for days that the documents were forged by Russia. “It’s just an intelligence game,” said Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the presidential office. The Russian secret services themselves prepared the documents with the aim of sowing doubt and discord among Ukraine’s allies and distracting them from the next phases of the war.
“Anxiety and Nervousness” in Russia
Russia, on the other hand, again sees Washington’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine as confirmed by the reports in the US. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN that US and NATO involvement in the conflict continues to grow. “We are monitoring the process.” But Russia does not expect any influence on its warfare – and expects victory.
In contrast, the US Institute for War Studies (ISW) noted fear and nervousness among Russian war bloggers after the documents were published.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
