Ukraine has changed some military plans due to an alleged leak of US secret military documents, CNN reported , citing a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the publication, the leaked documents reveal key shortcomings in Ukrainian weaponry, air defense, size and readiness of battalions at a critical time in the war, when Ukrainian forces are preparing for a counteroffensive against Russia.
One document shows the US is spying on Zelensky. A source close to Zelensky said it was not surprising that Ukrainian officials were deeply disappointed by the leak.
The leaked documents also showed that the United States has infiltrated the Russian Defense Ministry and the Wagner PMC deeper than previously thought, writes CNN. The publication notes that this endangers the sources of Americans. In addition, much of the information about Russia has been gathered through intercepted communications, raising concerns that the Russians may change their communication method to better hide their plans.
The documents show that the US was able to intercept Russian targeting plans, down to exactly which thermal power plants, electrical substations, railway and road bridges, Russian troops planned to attack on Ukrainian territory and when.
The US was also able to intercept a Russian strategy to deal with NATO tanks that were supposed to enter Ukraine in early April. The plan "involved the creation of three zones of fire depending on the range – far, medium and close – with each zone covered by certain types of weapons and units," according to a US intelligence report.
The documents also discuss Wagnerists' renewed recruitment of Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine, highlighting its leader's "continued influence on Putin," and the group's plans to increase its presence in Africa and Haiti.
In addition, the documents provide insight into casualties on both sides, which are notoriously difficult to accurately estimate and which the US is reluctant to release in detail.
According to CNN, published documents have shown that the United States is spying not only on potential adversaries, but also on allies – in particular, Israel and South Korea. This can compromise confidential sources and jeopardize important international relations.
One document details a conversation between two senior South Korean national security officials about the country's National Security Council's concerns about a US munitions request. Officials feared that the munitions shipments the US would then send to Ukraine would violate South Korea's policy of not delivering lethal aid to warring nations. According to the document, one of the officials then suggested a way to circumvent the policy without actually changing it – by selling ammunition to Poland.
The intelligence report about Israel sparked outrage in Jerusalem. A report prepared by the CIA and obtained from ESI says that Israel's main intelligence agency, MOSSAD, encouraged protests against the country's new government – "including several explicit calls to action," the report says.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office responded on behalf of Mossad on Sunday morning, calling the report "false and baseless." “MOSSAD and its senior officials did not and do not encourage agency employees to join demonstrations against the government, political demonstrations or any political activity,” the statement said.
Overall, the CNN story notes that the leak prompted the Pentagon to take steps to reduce the flow of sensitive documents that are normally available to hundreds of people in government every day.