The recently leaked US intelligence documents reveal many explosive details: from the weaknesses of the Ukrainian air defense system to the very serious health condition of Vladimir Putin. But who is the mole that makes entire states accountable? According to the Washington Post, a young man who worked at a US military base.
The mole, known only as “OG” – internet language for original – shared the explosive documents with acquaintances on the online platform Discord, which is popular among gamers. First he made copies of the top secret documents, later photos, the American newspaper reports, citing two members of the group.
Not a Russian agent
They describe the American to the Washington Post as a man in his twenties who is a gun geek and highly critical of the government – but not a Russian agent. The Discord chat where he posted the explosive photos was called “Bear vs. Pig,” a mocking dig of Russia and Ukraine.
In the group, which was founded in 2020 during the corona pandemic, the approximately two dozen members who shared their love of weapons, military equipment and their belief in God exchanged thoughts. Over the course of months, “OG” shared the information that later became public.
At the military base, the man spent parts of his workday in a secure facility where electronic devices were prohibited. That is why he initially copied the documents. That soon turned out to be too cumbersome and that is why he later posted photos of the secret papers – it is still unclear how he was able to do this despite the ban. However, in mid-March, “OG” stopped sharing documents with the group.
“Devastating” for the US
They have been circulating on the internet ever since. It is clear to Colonel Markus Reisner, military expert in the Armed Forces, that much of the content of the documents is correct, he told the “Krone”. The way the documents were made public was a “devastating twist” for the United States. The case shows how easily information that thousands of people have access to can reach the general public. That would not serve the US well in the international intelligence community. As a first consequence, the Pentagon has sharply reduced the number of employees who have access to classified documents, CBS reports.
Reisner assumes that Russian intelligence services used the “OG” mole. Because there you started very early to become active in the game world and to address and persuade gamers with a military background to share information.
Does Putin have cancer?
According to Reisner, the leaks also show how deep the US secret services have penetrated the inner circle around Russian President Vladimir Putin. There were “internal quarrels” in Moscow about the continuation of the war. According to the documents, Russian Chief of Staff Vitaly Gerasimov wanted to end the offensive war and was looking for an opportune time to do so: early March 2023, when Putin received his next chemotherapy. “That would mean that Putin actually has health problems,” explains Reisner. The Russian ruler could even be suffering from cancer, as has been speculated for some time. Chemotherapy is also used to treat other diseases.
Documents show problems of Ukraine
The Russians, in turn, can draw conclusions from the documents about the accuracy of the situational picture that the Americans have of the Russian armed forces and how they use this information to direct Ukraine. According to the military expert, the leaks also show how precarious the situation is for defenders against a Russian invasion. The Russians “falsified some things in their favor — like the casualty rate,” Reisner points out. However, the reality is that the Ukrainian air defenses have hardly any missiles left and the availability of ammunition for the HIMARS missile launchers is also very limited.
The documents also provide insight into strategy development. The United States apparently expects the planned Ukrainian counter-offensive to fail and lead to a stalemate.
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.
