Ukraine

Second Batch of Leaked US Documents Surface Online

Published APR 8 2023

Story

Image credit: Getty Images [via Time]

The Facts

A day after leaked military documents revealing US and NATO war planning in Ukraine surfaced online, a second batch was circulated on Friday — this time said to contain more than 100 documents revealing military secrets on Ukraine and additional areas of US interest, including China and the Middle East.
Daily Mail
One senior US intelligence official, speaking to the New York Times, described the leaks as "a nightmare for the Five Eyes" — in reference to the intelligence sharing alliance between the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Daily Mail
Late on Friday, Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon's deputy press secretary, said: "The Department of Defense is actively reviewing the matter, and has made a formal referral to the Department of Justice for investigation." Meanwhile, three US officials told Reuters they suspect Russia was behind the leak.
Independent
Elsewhere, on Saturday, Ukraine reportedly launched a missile strike on Crimea, the Russian-controlled peninsula annexed in 2014. Sergei Aksyonov, head of the administration in Crimea, said the missile was shot down over Feodosia, and an adviser said debris fell onto the town, but there was no report of damage or injuries. The reports, however, couldn't be independently verified.
Al Arabiya English
In the meantime, in Russian attacks over the past day, Ukrainian officials reported that four civilians were killed and one was injured in Donetsk, while eight civilians were injured in the Kherson region. Further attacks were recorded in the regions of Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia without additional reports of civilian casualties.
Ukrinform
Elsewhere, Ukraine held a minute's silence on Saturday to commemorate a Russian attack at a railway station in the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk last year that reportedly killed 61 civilians, including seven children.
Ukrainska Pravda

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Russia is likely behind this leak of documents. They revealed Ukrainian fighting positions in areas of the country, as well as a range of damaging information on US operations across the globe. It's they who benefit most from the leaks.

Independent

Establishment-critical narrative

This leak, which the US Dept. of Defense acknowledged as authentic, now complicates the US-supported Ukrainian counteroffensive planned for this spring. Military planners will now need to reassess before launching the salvo.

Foreign Policy

Metaculus Prediction

There's a 1% chance that Ukraine will join NATO before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.