DAccording to the Pentagon, the publication of secret US documents on the Internet represents a “very high” security risk. The fact that the documents circulated online is “a very high risk to national security,” a spokesman for the US Department of Defense told journalists on Monday . The process has “the potential to spread false information”.
The secret US government documents had appeared on online platforms such as Twitter, Telegram, Discord and other platforms. According to the New York Times, they contain, among other things, information on US and NATO plans to support a Ukrainian military offensive against Russia in the spring. According to the newspaper, the documents were distributed through pro-Russian channels.
Kyiv upset about publication
According to a report by the American television channel CNN, the Ukrainian leadership is also angry about the published secret documents on the Russian war of aggression. The country has therefore already changed some of its military plans, CNN reported, citing those close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
A document shows that the United States also spied on Zelenskyy. The fact in itself is not a surprise, but Ukrainian officials are deeply frustrated by the data leak, CNN wrote, citing a person close to Zelenskyy.
In the focus of American espionage: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
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Image: dpa
According to reports in numerous American media, the documents show how deeply Washington’s secret services also scrutinize their allies. The “New York Times”, for example, reported on the weaknesses of the Ukrainian air defense system, citing the documents. This must be strengthened to withstand the Russian attacks. Ukraine has long been demanding more ammunition and weapons for the war against Russia.
Russia sees the published documents as further evidence of US and NATO involvement in the war in Ukraine.
Manipulation of photographs proven
However, it is still unclear who published the documents, including those of the American secret services, and whether they are actually all genuine. Analysts had partially proven manipulation of the photographed documents – in the interests of Russia.
CNN, citing a document, reported that 43,000 Russian soldiers have been killed so far during the war. On the Ukrainian side, the number of dead was 17,500, it said. According to experts, in the manipulated versions of the documents that surfaced in Russian channels, the number of Russians killed was half as high, while the number of Ukrainians killed was higher than in the original version.
According to CNN, American reconnaissance was also able to uncover plans by the Russian side to attack the tanks supplied by NATO countries. Several American media reported that because of the intercepted information, Russia may now change lines of communication to cover up its plans. American authorities also fear that information providers in the Russian ranks could be in danger.
Pentagon reviews ‘national security’ implications
According to CNN, intercepted information on the Ukrainian side could have led to the United States not supplying the country with longer-range missiles, for example to prevent Kiev attacks on Russian territory. According to a document, Zelenskyj suggested that Russian positions in the Rostov area be shelled. Drones should be used for this.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense said it would investigate the possible impact of the incident on national security. An “inter-agency working group” has been set up to focus on assessing the impact “on U.S. national security and on our allies and partners,” Pentgon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said on Sunday.
New documents keep popping up, including information that not only affects Ukraine and Russia, but also highly sensitive assessments by American allies. According to the New York Times, some documents appear to contain information about internal debates in the governments of allies, such as discussions about whether South Korea should provide the United States with artillery shells for use in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday: “The leaks are reasonably interesting, everyone is studying, analyzing and discussing them widely.” When asked about a possible involvement of Russian authorities in the publication, the Kremlin spokesman said that he could not comment. “We all know that this is again a tendency to blame Russia for everything, always and everywhere, and to pin everything on Russia,” Peskov said. This blame is a “common disease”, which is why there is nothing to comment on.