the Pentagon is investigating a leak of classified documents on social networks

How could classified documents concerning the strategy of the United States and NATO in Ukraine end up on social networks? Washington is investigating: the Pentagon is trying to identify the source of these leaks of classified documents, revealed Thursday, April 6 the New York Times (article in English). According to the American daily, these documents date from the beginning of March. They do not reveal a precise battle plan concerning the Ukrainian counter-offensive expected in the coming weeks. But they do give an inventory of the needs of the kyiv army.

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For example, and this is a first: these leaks say how much ammunition Ukraine needs to use the Himars rocket launchers supplied by the United States. These documents also give the timetable for arms deliveries and claim that 12 Ukrainian combat brigades (about 4,000 to 5,000 men each) are being formed. Nine of them would be by the United States. And they would need 250 tanks and 350 mechanized vehicles.

The manipulation hypothesis

The published documents are in the form of photographs of sheets containing tables, graphs and maps. For the moment, it is impossible to know how this information, shared on Twitter and Telegram, leaked on social networks. Military intelligence specialists, quoted by the New York Times, believe they are genuine, but they have apparently been partially altered. This explains the New York Times, and that is why they are to be taken with precaution.

For example, Russian losses are revised downwards. These documents speak of 16,000 to 17,000 dead on the Russian side – it would rather be 200,000 dead and wounded, according to Pentagon estimates. And the Ukrainian losses are exaggerated. These changes may suggest an attempt at manipulation on the part of Moscow. If this track is confirmed, it would be one of the biggest blows of the Russian intelligence services since the beginning of the war.

In any case, this is the first time that such a leak has been made public. This should not improve the collaboration between the American and Ukrainian intelligence services. kyiv – which nevertheless enjoys a lot of support in the matter from Washington – is quite reluctant to reciprocate, for fear, precisely, of leaks. On Thursday, US authorities attempted to have these documents removed from social media. In vain.