WASHINGTON: A trove of highly sensitive US government documents circulating online includes secret assessments of the Ukraine conflict as well as reports that point to surveillance of close American allies.
The Pentagon says the breach poses a “very serious risk to national security”, and the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the matter.
US officials have not however publicly confirmed that the materials shown in photographs posted on social media and other sites are genuine, and their authenticity could not immediately be independently verified.
These are some key points from documents reviewed by AFP:
UKRAINE CONFLICT LOSSES
One document – purportedly an assessment of the status of the conflict as of Mar 1 – puts Russian combat deaths at between 35,500 and 43,500, and Ukraine’s at 16,000 to 17,500.
Russia also lost more than 150 planes and helicopters, while Ukraine lost more than 90 aircraft.
Another version of the document – which was apparently digitally modified – said Ukrainian losses of troops and equipment were higher than Russia’s. The Pentagon has warned that the documents “have the potential to spread disinformation”.
ANTI-AIR MISSILE SHORTAGE
Two documents dated Feb 28 highlight significant issues with Ukrainian air defences, which have been instrumental in protecting against Russian strikes and preventing Moscow’s forces from gaining control of the skies.
Ukraine’s ability to provide medium-range air defences to protect the front line “will be completely reduced by May 23”, the two documents say.
One of them notes that SA-10 and SA-11 Soviet-era systems make up nearly 90 per cent of Ukrainian medium- and high-range protection, and says that – based on munitions use at the time – they were projected to run out of missiles by early May and late March, respectively.
The document lists possible responses including resupplying with munitions from allies and partners in the near term, and soliciting contributions of Western air defence systems – a number of which have already been promised – in the midterm.
UKRAINE DRONE STRIKE INSIDE RUSSIA
An undated document says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb 28 expressed concern to the country’s top general and another official about Kyiv’s lack of missiles with the range to hit Moscow’s forces inside Russia, and suggested using drones to do so.
The account – which points to American surveillance of a close partner – may help explain US reluctance to provide Ukraine with the longer-range weapons it has sought, as Washington tries to avoid its arms being used inside Russia.
Kyiv appears to have carried out such strikes with other means, however, and Washington’s hesitation predates the exchange mentioned in the document.