How damaging to the US will be the latest Pentagon leaks?

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Dozens of classified US documents have been leaked and are now circulating on the internet.

Images of the classified files have appeared on messaging app Discord since February.

Complete with timelines and dozens of military acronyms, the documents, some marked "top secret", paint a detailed picture of the war in Ukraine and also offer information on China and allies.

Pentagon officials are quoted as saying the documents are real.

BBC News and other news organisations have reviewed some of the documents and these are some of the key findings.


Western special forces operating inside Ukraine

One document, dated 23 March, refers to the presence of a small number of Western special forces operating inside Ukraine, without specifying their activities or location. The UK has the largest contingent (50), followed by Latvia (17), France (15), the US (14) and the Netherlands (1).

Western governments typically refrain from commenting on such sensitive matters, but this detail is likely to be seized upon by Moscow, which has in recent months argued that it is not just confronting Ukraine, but Nato as well.

Other documents say when a dozen new Ukrainian brigades - being prepared for an offensive that could begin within weeks - will be ready. They list, in great detail, the tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery pieces that are being provided by Ukraine's Western allies.

One map includes a timeline that assesses ground conditions across eastern Ukraine as spring progresses.

According to the Washington Post newspaper, one document from early February expresses misgivings about Ukraine's chances of success in its forthcoming counteroffensive, saying that problems with generating and sustaining sufficient forces could result in "modest territorial gains".


What does the huge leak of Ukraine war documents tell us?

Ukraine's difficulties in maintaining its vital air defences are also analysed, with warnings from late February that Kyiv might run out of critical missiles.

Casualty figures are also listed. One slide refers to as many as 223,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded, and as many as 131,000 Ukrainians.

Some Ukrainian officials have dismissed the leaks, suggesting they might constitute a Russian disinformation campaign. But there are signs of frustration and anger too.

One presidential advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, tweeted: "We need less contemplation on 'leaks' and more long-range weapons in order to properly end the war."


Egypt secretly planned to supply rockets to Russia

The Washington Post obtained access to another document from mid-February, where they found that Egypt had plans to produce 40,000 rockets for Russia in secret.

The Post said President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi told officials to keep production and shipment secret "to avoid problems with the West".

An official is quoted as saying he would "order his people to work shift work if necessary because it was the least Egypt could do to repay Russia for unspecified help earlier". It is unclear what the earlier help refers to.

In January, Reuters reported that Russia's share of Egyptian wheat imports had risen in 2022, offering one possible explanation.

There is no indication that Egypt went ahead with the proposed sale to Russia. It's not known if this was as a result of a direct warning from Washington. But Egypt is one of the largest recipients of US security assistance, worth around $1bn a year, which gives the US administration considerable leverage.

An unnamed official quoted on Egyptian news channels described the allegation in the document as "utterly baseless" and said Cairo did not take sides in the war.

The Kremlin meanwhile described the allegation as "just another canard".


South Korea torn on delivering weapons to Ukraine

A classified document, seen by the BBC, reveals that South Korea was torn about selling weapons for use in Ukraine.

The report, based on signals intelligence, details a sensitive conversation between national security advisors.

They are torn between US pressure to send ammunition to Ukraine and their policy not to arm countries at war.

One of the advisers suggests sending the shells to Poland instead, to avoid appearing to have given in to the US.

As part of a resupply deal last year, Seoul insisted that the US could not pass the shells on to Ukraine. Seoul has been reluctant to arm Ukraine, for fear of antagonising Russia.

The leak has triggered security concerns in Seoul, with opposition politicians questioning how the US was able to intercept such a high-level conversation.


US leak shows S Korea torn on sending Ukraine weapons

The Post also found that Beijing tested one of its experimental missiles - the DF-27 hypersonic glide vehicle - on 25 February.

The missile flew for 12 minutes over a distance of 2,100km (1,300 miles), according to the documents.

The Post reported that the experimental missile had a "high probability" of penetrating US ballistic missile defence systems.

Their analysis also included details of a new Chinese warship and a rocket launch in March that would enhance China's mapping capabilities.

BBC
 
I think most of this info was known to those who understand geo-politics and the conflict in Ukraine. However the details are interesting.

Those who are not aligned to USA, also know this.

It will wake a few people up , esp those who blindly follow whatever the west states, which I find strange as the west are now known as habitual liars.

We are seeing a change of the balance of power and the decline of the west in terms of influence around the world.
 
This entire Biden tenure has proven to be a disaster for US. Biden and USA have lost all credibility in the eyes of the world. Even African countries who are used to taking freebies from US are talking back to US.

Biden Administration has handled the Ukraine war really badly. They drove Russia straight into China's arms. Now they are a team together and threatening US dollar.
 
Up to 50 UK special forces present in Ukraine this year, US leak suggests
Documents appear to list number of western special forces personnel in Ukraine in February and March

Leaked US military documents indicate that the UK has deployed as many as 50 special forces to Ukraine.

The documents suggest that more than half of the western special forces personnel present in Ukraine between February and March this year may have been British.

It is unclear what activities the special forces may have been engaged in or whether the numbers of personnel have been maintained at this level.

The UK’s elite military forces, whose activities are normally shrouded in secrecy, comprise multiple units including the Special Air Service (SAS).

The UK government has not disclosed since the beginning of the war that special forces have been active in Ukraine. Prior to Russia’s invasion, in June 2021 the UK embassy in Kyiv said its special forces had conducted training activities with Ukrainian forces.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) declined to comment on the disclosures or answer questions about UK personnel in Ukraine in recent months. However, in a tweet the department said the leak has “demonstrated a serious level of inaccuracy”.

The leaked documents, which have not been verified, are part of a tranche of classified US military and intelligence files that were posted on Discord, a platform used by gamers. At present, the original source of the files remains unknown.

In recent days, the documents, which are now circulating on social media and in online discussion forums, have prompted a series of media reports about US military and intelligence assessments, primarily about the war in Ukraine.

...
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...present-in-ukraine-this-year-us-leak-suggests
 
The US government believes the UN Secretary General is too willing to accommodate Russian interests, according to fresh revelations in classified documents leaked online.

The files suggest Washington has been closely monitoring Antonio Guterres.

Several documents describe private communications involving Mr Guterres and his deputy.

It is the latest from a leak of secret documents, which US officials are scrambling to get to the bottom of.

The documents contain candid observations from Mr Guterres about the war in Ukraine and a number of African leaders.

One leaked document focuses on the Black Sea grain deal, brokered by the UN and Turkey in July following fears of a global food crisis.

It suggests that Mr Guterres was so keen to preserve the deal that he was willing to accommodate Russia's interests.

"Guterres emphasised his efforts to improve Russia's ability to export," the document says, "even if that involves sanctioned Russian entities or individuals."

His actions in February, according to the assessment, were "undermining broader efforts to hold Moscow accountable for its actions in Ukraine."

UN officials bristled at the suggestion that the world's top diplomat was being soft on Moscow.

Saying he wouldn't comment on leaked documents, one senior official said the UN was "driven by the need to mitigate the impact of the war on the world's poorest."

"That means doing what we can to drive down the price of food," he added, "and to ensure that fertiliser is accessible to those countries that need it the most."

Russia has frequently complained that its own exports of grain and fertiliser are being adversely affected by international sanctions, and has threatened at least twice to suspend cooperation with BSGI unless its concerns are addressed.

Russian grain and fertilizer are not subject to international sanctions, but Russia says it has experienced difficulties with securing shipping and insurance.

UN officials are clearly unhappy with America's interpretation of Mr Guterres' efforts. And they say that Mr Guterres has made his opposition to Russia's war very clear.

Another document from mid-February describes a frank conversation between Mr Guterres and his deputy, Amina Mohammed.

In it, Mr Guterres expresses "dismay" at a call from the EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, for Europe to produce more weapons and ammunition as a result of the war in Ukraine.

The two also talk about a recent summit of African leaders. Amina Mohammed says that Kenya's president, William Ruto, is "ruthless" and that she "doesn't trust him."

It's well known that America is among a number of nations which routinely spy on the UN - but when the products of that espionage come to light, it's highly embarrassing and, for the world's leading diplomat, potentially damaging.

The first screenshots of the documents the BBC has been able to verify appeared on Discord - a social media platform popular with gamers - and were shared on several discussion channels.

Discord said on Wednesday that it was cooperating with law enforcement in its investigation into the leak.

US national security spokesperson John Kirby told the BBC that the US government was scrambling to get to the bottom of the leaks.

"This was a series of dangerous leaks. We don't know who's responsible, we don't know why. And we are assessing the national security implications, and right now there is also a criminal investigation," he said during President Joe Biden's trip to Belfast on Wednesday.

"We want to get to the bottom of this, we want to find out who did this and why."

Washington was "reaching out actively" to allies to answer questions they have about the leaks, so they know "how seriously we are taking this", he added.

Mr Kirby said that while the authenticity of some of the documents had yet to be established, they "certainly appear to have come from various source of intelligence across the government".

BBC
 
I think these leaks could be purposeful as it send the message that they're very powerful like a super power is meant to be. Just some feel good points for the patriots to talk about
 
I think these leaks could be purposeful as it send the message that they're very powerful like a super power is meant to be. Just some feel good points for the patriots to talk about

Possibly but its highly embarrassing even though all sane people know USA lies mostly, with the odd truth thrown in.

A person has been detained.

The suspect in the leak is named Jack Teixeira, US officials have told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

The New York Times earlier reported that the leader of an online gaming chat group where the files leaked in recent months had the same name, but they not identify Teixeira as the alleged leaker.

The Times has identified Teixeira as being a 21-year-old member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

According to the newspaper and various other US media outlets, Teixera was the leader of an online gaming chat group. It was here that he is believed to have leaked the files.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-65270164

Looks like a young man. Could be a stich up.
 
A US Air National Guardsman is to appear in court on Friday in Boston, Massachusetts, charged in connection with a leak of classified military intelligence on the war in Ukraine.

Jack Teixeira, 21, was arrested by the FBI at his family home in Dighton, rural Massachusetts, on Thursday.

Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, he was led away as news helicopters hovered.

Mr Teixeira has been identified as the leader of an online chat group where the documents first emerged.

He is charged with the unauthorised removal and transmission of classified information.

The leaks revealed US assessments of the war in Ukraine, as well as sensitive secrets about American allies, embarrassing Washington and posing risks to national security.

Mr Teixeira worked as an IT specialist in the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts National Guard, based at Otis Air National Guard Base in western Cape Cod.

Separately, he oversaw an online chat room made up mainly of male teenagers, with whom he had allegedly been sharing top secret information for months.

It was not until intelligence material was posted outside the chat room group that Pentagon officials became aware of the leak, prompting a massive search for the culprit.

Aside from the age of the suspect, the motive is also thought to be unusual.

While Mr Teixeira is said to have harboured a scepticism of government, friends said he was neither a whistle-blower nor a foreign agent.

He joined the National Guard in 2019, according to his service record, obtained by the BBC's US partner, CBS News.

His official title is Cyber Transport Systems journeyman and he holds the rank of Airman 1st Class - a relatively junior position.

The Pentagon says it will re-examine how classified information is distributed, but a spokesman said it was "the nature" of the US military to entrust young service members with high levels of responsibility.

BBC
 
The US airman accused of leaking confidential intelligence and defence documents has been officially charged in a court appearance in Boston.

Jack Teixeira, 21, wore shackles and a prison uniform as he stood before a federal judge on Friday.

After a shout of "love you, Jack" from a person in the courtroom, the defendant replied "you too, dad".

Mr Teixeira faces up to 15 years in prison over charges of unauthorised transmission of defence information.

He is also charged with the unauthorised removal and retention of classified documents.

The airman faces up to 10 years in prison for the first charge, and up to five years in prison for the second.

The dozens of leaked documents had revealed US assessments of the war in Ukraine as well as sensitive secrets about American allies.

The leaks embarrassed Washington and raised fresh questions over the security of classified information.

BBC
 
Ukraine is front and centre of a number of classified Pentagon documents which a 21-year-old US National Guard airman is suspected of leaking online.

The leaks include details about the West's military assistance to Ukraine, such as weapons deliveries and training, and perhaps more revealing, dire assessments of the war by US officials, making public concerns that for some time had been discussed in private.

The timing of the leaks is sensitive for Kyiv. The military is expected to launch a counter-offensive within weeks, in what is likely to be a crucial phase in the nearly 14-month-long war that is believed to have killed tens of thousands of people. Such is the anxiety here that, last month, the defence ministry urged people to stop discussing potential plans.

One leaked document, quoted by the Washington Post, said the Ukrainian army faced challenges in massing troops, equipment and ammunition, and could fall well short of its original goals for an expected counter-offensive. The document warned that only modest territorial gains could be achieved in Russian-occupied areas.

It is grim but hardly surprising.

One senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the BBC that the problems faced by the army were already known, and that the revelations would not affect relations between the two countries.

"[The leaks] aren't the main problem. The problem is what's happening on the front line," the official said.

"The decision to provide weapons doesn't mean they get to the front lines immediately. It takes weeks, sometimes months."
 
A US airman suspected of leaking dozens of classified files had a history of making violent threats and researched mass shootings, prosecutors allege.

Jack Teixeira wrote on social media that he wanted to kill a "ton of people" as a way of "culling the weak minded", according to a court filing.

The 18-page document also claimed the 21-year-old kept a bazooka and other weapons close to his bed.

On Thursday, prosecutors will argue he should remain in jail until his trial.

Mr Teixeira will appear at the detention hearing in a Massachusetts federal court. His legal team have not commented on the case but are expected to argue he should not be detained.

The filing from US justice department prosecutors on Wednesday outlined their case for keeping Mr Teixeira behind bars until his trial. It claims the IT specialist, who served in the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron in Massachusetts, poses a threat to Americans and US national security.

According to the prosecutors, he posted repeatedly about "troubling" violent acts including a potential mass shooting. He allegedly described building an "assassination van" and driving around shooting people in a "crowded urban or suburban environment".

He also allegedly searched for multiple recent mass shootings on his government computer, including Uvalde and the Las Vegas shooting.

The filing also said a search of Mr Teixeira's home had uncovered "a virtual arsenal of weapons, including bolt-action rifles, rifles, AR and AK-style weapons, and a bazooka". The defendant kept his gun locker with multiple weapons approximately two feet from his bed, according to the court filing.

It added that he was suspended from high school when a classmate overheard him making threats and discussing Molotov cocktails as well as other weapons.

He discussed violence and murder online and was prone to making "racial threats", prosecutors wrote.

They also said that, after his arrest, the FBI found a tablet, a laptop and an Xbox gaming console at his home that had been smashed and placed in a dumpster.

BBC
 
I generally don't think such leaks change much. Those who are anti-US will only have their opinions/suspicions affirmed, while those who are pro-US will just move on and forget about it.
 
Pentagon leaks suspect was warned off viewing classified material – prosecutors
Jack Teixeira was admonished repeatedly for accessing and taking notes on intelligence documents, says court filing

Jack Teixeira, the US air national guard member charged with being behind the so-called Pentagon leaks of highly classified military documents, was warned repeatedly over his mishandling of classified material, according to a court filing.

Justice department lawyers made the disclosure in court papers that urged Teixeira be kept behind bars while he awaits trial in the case stemming from the most consequential intelligence leak in years. The judge is expected to hear more arguments on Friday before issuing a ruling.

Teixeira is accused of sharing highly classified documents about top national security issues in a chatroom on Discord, a social media platform that started as a hangout for gamers. He has not yet entered a plea.

Prosecutors allege that Teixeira continued leaking documents even after he was rebuked on two separate occasions last year due to his “concerning actions” related to classified information that were observed by superiors.

A memo from September 2022 states that Teixeira had been seen taking notes on classified intelligence information and putting the notes in his pocket. Teixeira was instructed at the time to no longer take notes in any form on classified intelligence information, the memo says.

...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...d-off-viewing-classified-material-prosecutors
 
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