Ukraine seeks to prevent military leaks after NATO aid plans reportedly posted on social media

KIEV: Ukrainian leaders discussed ways to prevent leaks of military information on Friday (April 7). A classified document has reportedly been posted on social media detailing efforts by the United States and NATO to support counterattack plans against Russian aggression.

The New York Times said on Thursday, citing a senior US official, that classified war documents were posted on Russia’s widely used Twitter and Telegram this week.

A Ukrainian official told Reuters that the document contained “a very large amount of fictitious information” and that the posting was a Russian fake to raise suspicion about an attack involving the West’s advanced weaponry. He said it looked like an information operation.

Three U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said Russian or pro-Russian elements were likely behind the leak, giving a partial snapshot of the month before the war in Ukraine. We are offering

An additional batch of classified documents detailing US national security secrets related to regions such as Ukraine, the Middle East and China surfaced on social media later Friday, The New York Times reported.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the authenticity of the documents. The first batch, dated March 1, had markings indicating that it was classified as confidential and top secret.

Reuters was unable to verify the authenticity of the documents.

Leakage of sensitive documents like this is extremely rare and will automatically trigger an investigation.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said, “We are aware of reports of social media posts and (the Department of Defense) is looking into the matter.

In a statement, a CIA spokesperson said the CIA was also aware of the post and was investigating the allegations.

Ukrainian forces repulsed the first Russian advance in Kiev in early 2022, and the conflict, which Moscow calls a “special military operation,” has turned into one of trench warfare in the east and south.

Speculation is growing about what kind of attacks Kiev and Moscow will attempt in the second year of the war. The leaked documents did not appear to offer any concrete insight into Kiev’s war plans.

A Ukrainian presidential official said on Friday that the leak contained “a very large amount of fictitious information” and appeared to be a Russian disinformation operation to cast doubt on Ukraine’s planned counterattack. rice field.

“These are just standard elements of the operational game of Russian intelligence, nothing more,” Mikhaylo Podoljak said in a statement.