Top-secret Pentagon documents on Ukraine war appear on social media
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Loading... - Simeon Bok
- 12 Apr 2023
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Ukrainian troops prepare to fire a mortar toward Russian positions on the frontline in the eastern region of Donetsk on Wednesday.
GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images
Top-secret Pentagon documents with details about the war in Ukraine have been published on at least two social media sites, Twitter and Telegram. The revelation set off alarm bells at the Pentagon, which is trying to determine how the material was leaked or stolen.
"We are aware of the reports of social media posts and the department is reviewing the matter," said Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the leaks and has been in communication with the Department of Defense, DOJ spokesperson Xochitl Hinojosa told NPR in a statement. The DOJ declined further comment.
The documents include maps of Ukraine and charts on where troops are concentrated and what kinds of weapons are available to them. The online posts show photos of physical documents that were folded and creased in some instances.
One is labeled "Top Secret," and is titled "Status of the Conflict as of 1 March." It gives a detailed battlefield summary on that particular day, though it's not clear why the documents are emerging now, more than a month after they were prepared. The story was first reported by The New York Times. NPR has also seen the documents online, but is not publishing links to them.
Military analysts say the documents appear genuine, but think the original versions were likely altered in some places. For example, one chart puts the Ukrainian death toll at around 71,000, a figure that is considered plausible. However, the chart also lists the Russian fatalities at 16,000 to 17,500. The Russian count is believed to be much larger, though neither side releases overall casualty figures. Read More…
