New Delhi: Several classified dossiers pertaining to the US and NATO’s plans to ramp up Ukraine’s arsenal amid the protracted conflict with Russia, and information regarding Washington’s policy and plans in the Middle East and China, appear to have leaked online.
The purported leaks, which have surfaced prior to an impending Ukrainian spring offensive against the Russian forces, is being widely described as “the worst intelligence leak” for the US since Edward Snowden flew to Moscow a decade ago.
“Analysts say more than 100 documents may have been obtained — along with the sensitivity of the documents themselves, could be hugely damaging,” The New York Times said, citing US officials.
The purported leaks, in the form of photographs and scans of the classified intel, reportedly surfaced between the end of February and the beginning of March on Discord — an instant messaging platform for gamers. They were uploaded onto a server called “Wow Mao”.
While reports suggest that the Pentagon suspects Russia’s involvement, the US Department of Justice has launched an investigation to ascertain the source of the purported leaks.
According to The Washington Post, the documents in question contain major operational details of the American security and intelligence establishment. These include where the CIA may have recruited agents to gather information about closed-door conversations between world leaders and details of how the Wagner Group — a mercenary group with ties to Moscow — tried to purchase arms from Turkey, a NATO ally, through Mali.
The documents also give up the advanced and unknown satellite imagery technology that the US has been using to track the movement of Russian troops in Ukraine.
Not posting it for now but in short: all of the images (including the ones on 4chan and shared by Russian TG channels) were shared early March.
The source is even sillier than 4chan.
There are 10 total documents in the original leak. Some I haven't seen posted anywhere else.
— Aric Toler (@AricToler) April 7, 2023
“We are aware of the reports of social media posts, and the department is reviewing the matter,” Pentagon’s Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in response to a question about the purported leakes.
Meanwhile, CNN quoted US officials as saying, “They (administration) are taking the leaks seriously as they investigate and work toward a more formal assessment of what is in the documents and how they were leaked.”
Also quoting defence officials, The Washington Post reported that “many of the documents seem to have been prepared over the winter for Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior military officials, but they were available to other US personnel and contract employees with the requisite security clearances”.
Significantly, the purported intelligence leaks may pose a threat not just to America’s national security but also to the ‘five eyes’ — an intelligence alliance between the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
Also Read: What Russia-Ukraine war teaches us — 5 big tactical takeaways for India