US officials are investigating a major leak of classified documents, which contain sensitive information about Ukraine’s defense plans and intelligence on diplomatic allies.
US military ( Photo: The New York Times )
The leak is said to be one of the largest in the US military’s history
Some of the documents, which were meant to be seen only by those with the highest security clearance levels, have appeared on social media sites in recent weeks. Officials are scrambling to track down its source. While pro-Russian actors have not been ruled out, US officials suspect the leak may have been caused by an American. The Department of Defense is currently investigating the matter.
Foreign allies of the US are largely silent on the issue, but the leak has caused concern and is being closely monitored. South Korea has spoken to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the incident, while Australia has sought further information.
US officials previously said the documents originated in the government, but some of them may have been altered
The altered documents reportedly understated estimates of Russian casualties and overstated those of Ukrainian forces. Additionally, the documents revealed that the Biden administration believes Ukraine could run out of ammunition for its air defenses by May, and is pessimistic about Ukraine’s prospects of retaking territories captured by Russian forces.
This contrasts with Biden’s earlier stance on the matter. During his visit to Ukraine earlier this year, Biden stated that “When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us, but he was dead wrong.” The leak has prompted a review of how US officials share classified information internally to prevent future breaches.
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