Apparently secret documents from US agencies on the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine have been circulating on social networks on the Internet for weeks. In the USA, the media have been reporting on the sensitive material on both warring parties for days without publishing the sensitive documents themselves.
It is also unclear who published the documents that were circulated weeks ago on pro-Russian channels. The investigative network Bellingcat proved that some of the documents were subsequently manipulated. Some questions and answers about the leaks:
What exactly does the publication say?
According to US media reports, the published secret documents include information on arms deliveries to Ukraine and information on ammunition consumption. There are also maps showing the course of the front and the locations of Russian and Ukrainian troops and their strengths. Some of the documents marked as “secret” came from February and March, as the news portal “Politico” reported.
There was also information about NATO and US plans on how the Ukrainian military should be prepared and armed for an upcoming spring offensive. Details on the number and type of planned weapon deliveries and the expected delivery dates were noted, it said.
Analysis and information on other countries, such as China or Israel, are also included in the documents, the Washington Post newspaper wrote. It is also partly possible to see the methods used by the US secret services to collect the information and who the sources are. The documents apparently came from various US intelligence agencies and even from the high command of the US armed forces, the Wall Street Journal reported. It seems to be briefing documents, it said.
Are the documents genuine?
Expert Aric Toler from the investigative network Bellingcat found out that the documents made the rounds on the video game platform Discord, popular with gamers – and were then also distributed by Russian users on the news network Telegram, for example. So they could be real, but he also showed that some documents were clearly manipulated afterwards.
The US broadcaster CNN reported that government officials had confirmed the authenticity of the documents. The US authorities seem to be taking the matter very seriously. Both the Pentagon and the Justice Department were investigating the incidents, media reported unanimously. US President Joe Biden is “concerned” about the volume of documents that have been made public, a senior government official confirmed to Politico.
Many of the documents did not appear to be forged and were similar in format to those used by the US foreign intelligence agency, the CIA, government officials confirmed to the Washington Post. The documents of the supreme command of the armed forces look authentic, the New York Times reported, citing government officials.
Who is behind the data leak?
It is unclear who published the documents. The mole is now being searched for feverishly. The investigations were first and foremost directed inwards, CNN reported, 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 appropriate level of security would have had access, a Defense Department official told the Washington Post. Such violations are among the most serious crimes committed to US national security, a former US Air Force attorney told the newspaper.
How could the leak affect the war?
The documents could harm Ukraine and the US in several ways. Although they are a few weeks old, they could still provide Moscow with valuable information, Dmitri Alperovitch, head of the Silverado Policy Accelerator think tank, told the Washington Post. Although they did not contain concrete battle plans, they did show the type and quantity of Western weapons that had arrived on Ukraine’s battlefields, how many soldiers could use them, and how Ukraine intended to defend itself against Russian attacks.
The documents also made it clear to what extent Russia’s security apparatus was penetrated by US secret services, wrote the New York Times. That gives Moscow information about where its weak points lie. CNN reported that US informants in the Russian ranks could now be in danger.
How did Ukraine and Russia react to the publication?
Ukraine has been claiming for days that the documents were forged by Russia. “It’s an ordinary intelligence game,” said Presidential Office Advisor Mykhailo Podoliak. The Russian secret services prepared the documents themselves with the aim of sowing doubts and discord among Ukraine’s allies and distracting them from the next stages of the war. Behind the scenes, however, there is deep anger in Kiev because of the published data, CNN reported, citing those close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was probably also spied on.
Russia, on the other hand, sees Washington’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine once again as confirmed by the reports in the USA. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the “leaks are reasonably interesting” and everyone is now analyzing them. On Friday he said that US and NATO involvement in the conflict was increasing. However, Russia does not expect any influence on its warfare – and expects a victory. In contrast, the US Institute for War Studies (ISW) noted fear and nervousness among Russian war bloggers after the documents were published.
What do the leaks mean for US partners?
As the documents show, the US services also spied on the ranks of their own allies. This could cause upsets between the Allies. The releases also raise new questions about the security of intelligence information passed to the United States by other countries, it said, referring to the wide-ranging exchange of classified information between the so-called Five Eyes states of the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada . (dpa)
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