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The recent leak of a collection of classified US military documents has caused alarm among officials worldwide, with Washington, D.C., feeling the most significant impact. As the intelligence service works to assess the damage, the Department of Justice has initiated an investigation. The documents reveal US evaluations of the war in Ukraine, including tactical information about Ukrainian forces and intelligence gathering targeting allies such as South Korea and Israel. Despite the smaller scale of this leak compared to previous breaches, the sensitivity of the subjects remains a major concern for US officials.
Decoding the Content of the Leaked Documents
At least several dozen images of paper documents are contained within the leak. Many seem to be briefings intended for senior Pentagon leadership, including assessments from the National Security Agency, the CIA, and the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Most of the documents are marked confidential, with some bearing "NOFORN" or "top secret" designations. Although the information is predominantly focused on the conflict in Ukraine, other geopolitical situations are discussed, such as China and Iran.
Most of the intelligence was collected during the winter and released in late February and early March.
Intriguing Findings from the Leaked Documents
Although the full scope of the leaked documents' content has not yet been revealed, several intriguing details have emerged.
One document details a close call in which a Russian fighter jet nearly shot down a British surveillance plane off the coast of Crimea—an incident that could have been far more dangerous than was publicly acknowledged at the time.
The leak also suggests that the US intelligence community has infiltrated the Russian military, warning Ukraine of impending attacks and discussing internal planning within the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency, and the Wagner mercenary group.
The documents also contain information about new surveillance technology utilized by the US to assist Ukraine, such as the advanced satellite imaging system known as "LAPIS time-series video." There are concerns that Russia could use this information to disrupt the technology.
Other documents mention NATO ally Turkey being approached by the Wagner group to help procure supplies, as well as South Korea's and Israel's involvement in various situations.
Tracing the Origins of the Leak
The leak first gained widespread attention in early April, with journalists and investigators uncovering that the documents first surfaced on social networks such as Twitter and Telegram, and even earlier on the 4chan platform.
Eventually, the trail led to a conversation on the Discord platform, where a user shared images of the leaked documents on a server called "Wow Mao" in late February and early March. The identity of the person who initially shared the images and their motivations for doing so remain unknown.
