Leaked intelligence documents from the Pentagon have made their way to
the internet, and they expose just how deeply the U.S. has penetrated
Russian security and intelligence services. The source of the documents
remains unknown.
The New York Times reports:
The documents portray a battered Russian military that is
struggling in its war in Ukraine and a military apparatus that is
deeply compromised. They contain daily real-time warnings to American
intelligence agencies on the timing of Moscow’s strikes and even its
specific targets. Such intelligence has allowed the United States to
pass on to Ukraine crucial information on how to defend itself.
The problem with this leak, however, is that now Moscow knows of the
infiltration, and Putin’s minions will presumably do everything in their
power to stop the flow of information. While the U.S. has been able to
warn Ukraine about imminent attacks and the strategies of the Russian
military, those reports may soon come to an end:
The leak has the potential to do real damage to Ukraine’s
war effort by exposing which Russian agencies the United States knows
the most about, giving Moscow a potential opportunity to cut off the
sources of information. Current and former officials say it is too soon
to know the extent of the damage, but if Russia is able to determine how
the United States collects its information and cuts off that flow, it
may have an effect on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Whoever coordinated this gravely damaging leak is
allowing Russia to ferret out US and allied sources inside Moscow. They
must be caught: Leaked Documents Reveal Depth of U.S. Spy Efforts and
Russia’s Military Struggles https://t.co/UoS6282nEV
— Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1) April 8, 2023
The FBI is launching an investigation into the sources of the leaks, which some are saying exaggerate the Ukrainian death toll
while downplaying Russian casualties. An advisor to Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podolyak, claims the leaks are Russian
disinformation:
The published data are related exclusively to the
information and operational game that the Russians started in order to
introduce confusion, seize the initiative and discredit the very idea of
offensive. It is obvious.
BREAKING! Classified documents detailing secret Ukrainian and NATO plans have leaked 😡 pic.twitter.com/2Gb06DWbHT
— Father Shiva ✙ (@shiva_ukraine) April 7, 2023
The source of the leak is causing much consternation. GOP Wisconsin
Representative Mike Gallagher, who sits on the House Intelligence
Committee, sounded the alarm:
It seems like a massive counterintelligence problem, the
fact that this trove of documents was leaked. We are talking about
things that could damage our national security and C.I.A. efforts in
Europe and around the world.
The Times describes the intelligence material:
The documents appeared online as hastily taken
photographs of pieces of paper sitting atop what appears to be a hunting
magazine. Former officials who have reviewed the material say it
appears likely that a classified briefing was folded up, placed in a
pocket, then taken out of a secure area to be photographed.
The whole episode sounds like a Tom Clancy novel, and it’s impossible
at this point to know what is valid and what is disinformation. Some of
the documents, for instance, were doctored,
according to some, while others appear legitimate. The bottom line: the
leak at this point looks to be a blow to the U.S., as it shows that we
were spying on our allies like South Korea in addition to the
Russians—and those allies will certainly have questions.
Meanwhile, Putin will seize on this disclosure, and do everything in
his power to root out the moles. Our ability to warn Ukraine of Russian
attacks will be severely hampered. For now, we are left to wonder—who’s
behind this effort?
No comments:
Post a Comment