The White House admitted Monday that it doesn’t know if more Pentagon documents about US covert foreign operations will leak.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that an investigation is underway and that so far they have few answers about how a large cache of top-secret Pentagon documents that appear to contain classified information came out.
The documents revealing how Ukraine’s S-300 air defense systems could run out of missiles and ammunition by May 2 in current use have appeared online in recent days.
The documents also describe how Ukraine’s air defenses could protect Ukrainian troops on the front lines ‘completely reduced’ by May 23 and suggest that the US has a better handle on Russia’s war strategy than that of its ally Ukraine.
Kirby was asked if the Pentagon is bracing for further leaks. “The truth and the honest answer to your question is: we don’t know,” he said. And is that a concern for us? You are absolutely right.’
“We don’t know who is behind this, we don’t know what the motive is,” he added. Kirby said that as officials went through documents posted online, at least some appeared to have been “manipulated.”
Kirby made a futile attempt to urge reporters not to report on the contents of the secret documents.
“This is information that has nothing to do with the public domain,” he said firmly. “It has no place… on the front pages of newspapers or on television.”
The Ministry of Justice has now launched a criminal investigation into the possible release of the Top Secret documents, mostly related to the state of war in Ukraine.
A first batch of documents labeled “Secret” and “Top Secret” — reportedly featuring charts about the war in Ukraine and the strengths of various battalions — first circulated on Twitter and Russia’s Telegram channels last month.
And a new batch of more than 100 Pentagon documents — this time also detailing U.S. national security interests related to areas like China and Israel’s Mossad spy agency — were shared on Twitter on Friday, the New York Times reported.
The authenticity of the documents is still under debate, as experts suggest they may have been altered or used as a misleading information campaign to suit Russia’s agenda. They pointed out how some documents containing estimates of battlefield casualties from Ukraine had been altered to minimize Russian losses.
Under a section titled “Total Assessed Losses,” a document lists 16,000-17,500 Russian casualties and up to 71,000 Ukrainian casualties. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said publicly last November that Russia has lost “more than” 100,000 soldiers, and Ukraine has lost about that much. And those estimates have continued to rise in recent months, though officials have stopped providing more exact numbers.
“We’re afraid these documents are there… They shouldn’t be there, period,” Kirby said in Monday’s briefing.
The leaks also suggested that last month Mossad secretly encouraged protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his planned judicial reforms. Netanyahu’s office, which directs Mossad, denies the allegation.
Ukraine’s air defenses could be exhausted in weeks, leaving the country vulnerable to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fighter jets, newly leaked Pentagon documents show.
Such closely guarded information could be of great use to the Russian armed forces, and Ukraine said President Volodymyr Zelensky and senior security officials met to discuss ways to prevent leaks.
The document said the US learned about this through intelligence agencies, suggesting that the United States had been spying on one of its main allies in the Middle East.
In a statement on Sunday, Netanyahu’s office described the allegation as “false and without foundation.”
Another document detailed internal discussions among senior South Korean officials about US pressure on Seoul to assist in the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, and the policy not to do so.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said Monday that fact-checking the documents is a priority and it will ask the US to take “appropriate” steps after confirming the details.
Yoon’s office said the possibility that the documents were fabricated or a product of third-party interference cannot be ruled out, warning that attempts to “disrupt the alliance would have consequences.”
Intelligence agencies are believed to have fully infiltrated the Russian military and leading intelligence agencies, giving them considerable knowledge of upcoming maneuvers, as well as insight into how badly Putin’s war is going.
But the same cannot be said of Ukraine New York Times. The newspaper reported that “the United States has a better understanding of Russian military operations than of Ukrainian planning.”
US officials have reportedly resorted to spying on Ukraine itself to try and get a sense of their military plans — including spying on Zelensky himself.
One of the documents, dated Feb. 23 and marked “Secret,” outlines in detail how Ukraine’s S-300 air defense systems would be exhausted by May 2 in current use. Such well-kept information could be useful to the Russian armed forces.
In the early days of the war, Ukraine relied on these air defense weapons – the S-300 and the Buk to attack aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles – which make up 89 percent of Ukraine’s protection against fighter aircraft.
These are two of the leaked documents shared by the New York Times
One of the documents, dated Feb. 23 and marked “Secret,” outlines in detail how Ukraine’s S-300 air defense systems would be exhausted by May 2 in current use.
This allowed Ukraine to focus on fighting Putin’s ground forces, which have suffered heavy casualties since the start of the war. But the Russian despot has held back its air force of 485 fighter jets – far more than the 85 Ukraine has in its army.
The Russian fleet also includes much more advanced fifth-generation aircraft, including the Su-57, while Ukrainian pilots have to make do with MiG-29s, which first flew in 1983.
If Ukraine can no longer defend its airspace, Putin could ramp up fighter jet attacks on Zelensky’s forces, dramatically turning the 15-month conflict in his favor.
The Pentagon did not comment on the contents of specific documents, including the apparent surveillance of allies.
Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that while there were concerns about the leak among the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, the documents showed a snapshot from more than a month ago, rather than more recent assessments.
The two officials said the military and intelligence agencies were reviewing their processes to determine the extent to which some of the intelligence is being shared internally.
A US official said the initial documents resemble data produced daily by the Joint Staff, although some figures are incorrect.
The trove of leaked Pentagon documents suggests the US knows much more about Russia’s war campaign than Ukraine’s — despite funding the latter to the tune of $200 billion.
A villager collects wood during fierce fighting on the frontline of Bakhmut and Chasiv Yar
Pictured: A villager is seen near a wrecked car during heavy fighting on the frontline of Bakhmut and Chasiv Yar, in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine in April 2023