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KYIV: Ukraine’s leaders discussed ways to prevent leaks of military information on Friday (Apr 7) after secret documents detailing US and NATO efforts to help the country plan a counter-offensive against Russia’s invasion reportedly appeared on social media.
The New York Times said on Thursday, citing senior US officials, that classified war documents were posted this week on Twitter and Telegram, which is widely used in Russia.
A Ukrainian official told Reuters the documents contained a “very large amount of fictitious information” and the posts looked like a Russian disinformation operation to sow doubts about the offensive, which requires advanced Western weapons.
Three US officials that spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said that Russia or pro-Russian elements are likely behind the leak, which offers a partial, month-old snapshot of the war in Ukraine.
Later on Friday, an additional batch of classified documents appearing to detail US national security secrets pertaining to areas including Ukraine, the Middle East and China surfaced on social media, the New York Times reported.
The Pentagon has declined to comment on the authenticity of the documents. The initial batch dated Mar 1 beared markings showing them classified as Secret and Top Secret.
Reuters was not able to verify the authenticity of the documents.
A leak of such sensitive documents is highly unusual and would automatically trigger an investigation.
“We are aware of the reports of social media posts and the Department (of Defense) is reviewing the matter,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said.
In a statement, a CIA spokesperson said that the agency is also aware of the posts and is looking into the claims.
Ukrainian forces repelled Russia’s initial advance on Kyiv early in 2022, and the conflict, which Moscow calls a “special military operation,” has become one of grinding trench warfare in the east and south.
Speculation has been mounting about what offensives Kyiv and Moscow might attempt in the war’s second year. The leaked documents did not appear to offer any specific insight into Kyiv’s war plans.
A Ukrainian presidential official said on Friday that the leak contained a “very large amount of fictitious information” and looked like a Russian disinformation operation to sow doubts about Ukraine’s planned counter-offensive.
“These are just standard elements of operational games by Russian intelligence. And nothing more,” Mykhailo Podolyak said in a written statement.
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