A trove of leaked documents has revealed the depth of America’s spying apparatus around the world, including its efforts to keep tabs on allied officials and providing the clearest picture yet of the Kremlin’s depleted military.
The documents, which are from late February to early March but have only been leaked online in recent days, revealed the extent to which US espionage tactics have been able to infiltrate Vladimir Putin‘s war machine.
Now, US military officials are able to provide real-time warnings to their Ukrainian counterparts about impending strikes, indicating an exhaustive understanding of the conflict as it stands.
While the leak effectively demonstrated America’s ability to penetrate Moscow’s upper echelons, it has also sparked fears that Russian intelligence may now have a clearer understanding of exactly what the US does and does not already understand, providing an opportunity for them to cut off sources of information.
The leak comes after another batch of classified documents were leaked in a suspected Russian plot, in what was described as ‘a nightmare for the Five Eyes’ – a reference to the intelligence sharing agreement between the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Joe Biden, seen in Washington DC on Tuesday. His administration confirmed the leaked documents were real, but said some aspects had been doctored
Notably, the documents covered intimate details about the spread of US military spying across the globe.
Per multiple reports, this included classified information about Iran’s nuclear program and North Korea’s missile program.
In Ukraine, the documents suggested a misalignment between US and Ukrainian military strategies, with intelligence reports appearing to show the US continues to spy on top military and political leaders in the region.
American officials told the New York Times that while the leak underscores the US’s capacity to collect information on Russia’s strategies, it remains to be seen whether their sources of information will be hampered by the revelations.
It may have further implications into the legitimacy of US espionage.
Per the outlet, a senior Western intelligence official said the release could curb intelligence sharing between agencies, as trust over secretive information could be lost.
Assurances over the validity of the US military’s spying apparatus is set to be further disrupted by revelations that America’s focus extends far beyond its Russian enemies.
Allied nations, such as South Korea, have also been the subject of spying by The Pentagon, raising questions as to the diplomatic impact the leak could have at a time of deteriorating global ties.
The document leak indicates that the US has been spying on Ukrainian allied officials. Pictured: A Ukrainian serviceman in training exercises in Donetsk
The documents, which were posted on social media sites including Twitter and Telegram, depict the devastating impact the war in Ukraine has had on both sides.
Despite the Biden administration pouring over $75 billion into the Ukrainian military, the leak revealed that its stockpiles are severely depleted and it is low on air defense ammunition.
One of the leaks, reportedly posted to Telegram, detailed ‘a secret plan to prepare and equip nine brigades of the Amed Forces of Ukraine by the US and NATO for the spring offensive.’
The Biden administration has not denied the legitimacy of the leak, but it did claim that certain documents had been doctored.
An FBI probe was launched Friday to determine the source of the leak.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
