Leaked US secret documents: Kiev apparently angry, Moscow interested

According to CNN, the Ukrainian government reacted angrily after the release of secret US documents. A military offensive was adjusted because of the data leak. The Kremlin was interested – the documents would be analyzed.

First they appeared in video game chat rooms, then they spread via various social media: A number of confidential US documents on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine were available on the Internet for weeks.

In the USA, the media have been reporting on the highly sensitive material on the two warring parties for days without publishing the documents. The data leak is causing irritation among the Ukrainian leadership, as reported by the US television station CNN.

Military plans changed

The country has already changed some of its military plans for a counter-offensive, CNN reported, citing those close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to the New York Times, some of the apparently leaked documents contained details of US support for Ukraine before the expected counter-offensive against Russia.

In addition, according to CNN, another paper shows that the USA also spied on President Zelenskyj. The fact in itself is not a surprise, but Ukrainian officials are deeply frustrated by the leak, the channel wrote, citing a person close to Zelenskyy.

On the other hand, Ukraine appears unimpressed to the outside world. “It’s an ordinary intelligence game,” said Presidential Office Advisor Mykhailo Podoliak. The Russian secret services prepared the documents themselves with the aim of sowing doubts and discord among Ukraine’s allies and distracting them from the next stages of the war.

Kremlin: “Leaks are interesting”

According to US media, the documents could prove valuable for Moscow because they show how far US intelligence services have already penetrated parts of the Russian military apparatus. The Kremlin itself announced that the publication was being followed with interest in Moscow. “The leaks are reasonably interesting, everyone is studying, analyzing and discussing them broadly,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

It is still unclear who is behind the release. When asked about a possible involvement of Russian authorities, the Kremlin spokesman said that he could not comment on that. “We all know that this is again about this tendency to blame Russia for everything, always and everywhere and to pin everything on Russia,” said Peskov. This blame is a “common disease”, which is why there is nothing to comment on.

Moscow said the documents would have no impact on the conduct of the war. Russia continues to count on a victory. Against that US Institute for War Studies (ISW) Fear and nervousness among Russian war bloggers after publication of the documents.

The United States is examining national security implications

It is still unclear whether all of the documents are genuine. Analysts had partially proven manipulation of the photographed documents. The US broadcaster CNN reported that government officials had confirmed the authenticity of the documents.

The US authorities seem to be taking the matter very seriously. Both the Pentagon and the Justice Department were investigating the incidents, media reported unanimously. Possible consequences for national security and for US allies and partners would also be considered.

The investigation is also about finding the source. “The focus now is that this is a US leak, as many of the documents were only in US hands,” said Michael Mulroy, a former senior Defense Department official.