Russian war of aggression
Ukraine doubts US wiretapping Zelenskyy
The USA is also said to have spied on him: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. photo
© Michal Dyjuk/AP/dpa
The leaks of secret US documents on the Russian war of aggression have caused quite a stir. Presidential adviser Podoljak appeased and described the publications as “normal analyses”.
The Ukrainian leadership has cast doubt on an alleged US wiretapping operation against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Consultations between the head of state and the military took place differently than published secret service documents, said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak on Ukrainian television.
The publications do not jeopardize Ukraine’s relations with its western partners. “These are normal analyses,” he said. Plans for a Ukrainian counter-offensive would also not be torpedoed because work is still in progress.
Previously, there had been reports of secret documents from the US Department of Defense, according to which Zelenskyy suggested drone strikes on Russian army locations in the Rostov region in a consultation with the army leadership at the end of February. That may have encouraged Washington not to supply Kiev with long-range weapons, it said. Podoljak contradicted this statement: “It makes no sense to simply say in the abstract: ‘Let’s bomb the Rostov region.'” Rather, priorities are set and strategies defined at such consultations.
Podoliak also reassured that, for example, information on problems with Ukrainian air defense was already known. Ukraine has been fighting a Russian war of aggression for more than 13 months with massive Western aid.
Peskow: “Releases reasonably interesting”
The Kremlin follows the publications with interest. “The leaks are reasonably interesting, everyone is studying, analyzing and discussing them broadly,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
When asked about a possible involvement of Russian authorities in the publication, the Kremlin spokesman said that he could not comment. “We all know that this is again a 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.
Peskov commented on reports that Zelenskyy had also been spied on by the US authorities. “You can’t rule that out,” he said. Cases have already become known in the past in which the USA spied on various heads of state and government, especially in the European capitals, which then led to scandals. In 2013, for example, then-Chancellor Angela Merkel was outraged because a US secret service tapped her cell phone.
It is also unclear who published the documents, including those of the US secret services, and whether they are all genuine. Analysts had partially proven manipulation of the photographed documents – in the interests of Russia.
43,000 Russian soldiers killed so far, according to CNN
CNN, citing a document, reported that 43,000 Russian soldiers have been killed so far during the war. On the Ukrainian side, the number of dead was 17,500, it said. According to experts, in the manipulated versions of the documents that surfaced in Russian channels, the number of Russians killed was half as high, while the number of Ukrainians killed was higher than in the original version.
According to CNN, US intelligence was also able to uncover plans by the Russian side to attack the tanks supplied by NATO countries. Several US media reported that because of the intercepted information, Russia may now change lines of communication to cover up its plans. US authorities also fear that information providers in the Russian ranks could be in danger.
According to CNN, intercepted information on the Ukrainian side could have led to the United States not supplying the country with longer-range missiles, for example to prevent Kiev attacks on Russian territory. According to a document, Zelenskyj suggested that Russian positions in the Rostov area be shelled. Drones should be used for this.