Russia’s Wagner militia would ‘like’ to track down British special forces in Ukraine, a British MP warned after allegedly leaked US intelligence documents claimed some 50 British troops were active in the country.
Alicia Kearns, chair of the foreign affairs committee, said that if British intelligence officials were in Ukraine it could be proven that they would be a “high-value target” for the Wagner mercenary group.
The committee chair spoke about allegedly leaked documents containing classified information about the military strength of British, American and NATO allies. The document claimed that the UK sent 50 elite special forces to Ukraine and 14 from the US.
But the documents, marked top secret, were rejected by the Defense Department, which said they contained a “serious level of inaccuracy” when they first appeared on social media.
Kearns said it would be very concerning if the leak were real as it would put Western assets around the world at risk.
Russia’s Wagner militia would ‘like’ to track down British special forces in Ukraine, a British MP said. In the photo: Wagner group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, March 3, 2023
Alicia Kearns said if British intelligence officials were part of the group in Ukraine they would be a ‘high-value target’ for the mercenary group
Ukrainian soldiers fire an artillery shell near the front line during the Russia-Ukraine war, in Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 2, 2023
Speak against Times RadioKearns said Thursday: “If this is proven to be a serious and genuine leak then this will be concerning because what it does is it puts US, Allied and UK assets at risk around the world, particularly those who work to save Ukrainian lives. .’
There is no doubt that the Wagner militia, the Russian government, would be very eager to track down British special forces. And by declaring that they are in Ukraine, they will become a valuable target for the Russians. And if British Special Forces are there, of course we don’t want them to be targeted.’
While somewhat worn out in recent months, the Wagner group has become synonymous with brutality and ruthlessness, with Kearns warning of the safety of Western assets.
“It really jeopardizes those on the ground, if there are any, but it also jeopardizes, if these are correct, the extensive access that clearly exists within the Russian defense system.”
Neither the British Ministry of Defense nor the Pentagon have confirmed the authenticity of the documents, which appeared on social media earlier this year.
“A significant portion of the content of these reports is false, manipulated or both,” said a British defense official.
“We strongly caution against anyone assuming the truth of these claims and also encourage them to take the time to question the source and purpose of such leaks.”
While still not confirming the authenticity of the documents, CIA director William Burns said the leaks were “deeply unfortunate” as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed to “turn over every stone” to find a culprit .
According to the leaked documents, Britain has the largest contingent of special forces on Ukrainian territory. There are said to be a dozen operators, each from fellow NATO states Latvia, France and the US
A Ukrainian soldier repositions his machine gun during a frontline firefight, amid the Russian attack on Ukraine in Bakhmut region, Ukraine April 5, 2023
Tobias Ellwood (left) said the US leaks “could endanger lives,” as Dan Jarvis (right) said any possible operations were “necessarily shrouded in secrecy.”
Kearns’ comments come after Defense Select Committee chair Tobias Ellwood said the leaks “could put lives at risk.”
He said it would come as no surprise that British intelligence did much of the “heavy lifting” when it comes to elite forces, but stressed the danger that could arise from the leaks.
“This deliberate large-scale disclosure of sensitive material could easily endanger lives and should prompt an urgent review of who has access to sensitive information and how it is shared,” Ellwood told The Times.
Labour’s Dan Jarvis also weighed in, saying any possible operations were ‘necessarily shrouded in secrecy’.
He added that the leak penalizes the British military and that it could “compromise the safety and effectiveness of those operations and put lives at risk”.
Former head of the Royal Marines, Lieutenant General Robert Magowan, confirmed in December that British commandos had already deployed to Ukraine twice in 2022 – first in January to evacuate the British Embassy in Kiev and again in April “to provide protection to critical personnel’.
Lieutenant General Magowan said the personnel had served in Ukraine “at high political and military risk.”
The leaked documents reportedly show how US intelligence has been able to provide Kiev with extensive details of planned Russian attacks, but also revealed that Ukraine’s air defenses are nearly exhausted.
An investigation has since been launched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice to quickly identify the source of the breach.