Recently, secret military documents were leaked on social media revealing plans by the U.S. and NATO to strengthen Ukraine’s armed forces before its counteroffensive. According to The New York Times, high-ranking representatives of the U.S. administration confirmed the documents were marked “top secret” and evaluated the conflict’s status as of March 1. The leaked documents include images of schedules for expected arms deliveries, the number of troops and battalions in Ukraine, and a summary of 12 combat brigades, nine of which are being trained and armed by the United States and other NATO countries. Experts warn that the documents could have been selectively altered to spread Kremlin disinformation as they are distributed in pro-Russian Telegram channels. The US administration is attempting to remove the leaked documents, but so far, it has not been successful.
Secret military documents leaked to social media this week detailing U.S. and NATO plans to build up Ukraine’s armed forces ahead of its counteroffensive. The New York Times (NYT). At the same time, analysts admit that changes could have been made to the documents before publication, since they “overestimate the estimates of the Ukrainians who died in the war and underestimate the estimates of the dead Russian military.”
NYT refers to high-ranking representatives of the US administration. According to the publication, documents marked “top secret” evaluate “the status of the conflict as of March 1.” They were distributed on Twitter and Telegram. In particular, photographs of schedules of expected arms deliveries are provided, and the number of troops and battalions of Ukraine is mentioned, but “there are no concrete combat plans” – for example, how, when and where it intends to launch an offensive.
The NYT notes that these documents “certainly provide many enticing clues.” Among other things, they mention the consumption of ammunition for the American HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, which the Pentagon has not previously disclosed (the publication does not provide specific figures). Another document lists Ukrainian military units, their equipment and training schedule for January-April. It provides a summary of 12 combat brigades, nine of which appear to be being trained and armed by the United States and other NATO countries. Six of these nine brigades should be ready by March 31st, the rest by April 30th. In total, more than 250 tanks and more than 350 military vehicles were needed for nine brigades. According to experts, there are 4-5 thousand soldiers in each brigade.
It is not known how the documents got into social networks, but, as the newspaper notes, they are distributed, including in pro-Russian Telegram channels. Analysts warned that the documents “could be selectively altered to spread Kremlin disinformation.” On one of the slides, in particular, it is mentioned that Ukraine has lost 71,500 troops. At the same time, experts clarify that some documents still “look authentic.”
The US administration is “working to remove” the documents, but so far has not been able to achieve this, writes the NYT. “We are aware of the reports (about leaking documents.— “uh”) on social networks, and the Ministry (of Defense.— “uh”) is looking into the matter,” Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told the publication.
In March, the German magazine Bild, citing NATO analysts, reported that the next six months would be critical for the military operation in Ukraine. According to the publication, the main directions of Ukraine’s counter-offensive will be Luhansk and Zaporozhye, and Kyiv also wants to cut off Russia’s land communication with Crimea. Archyde.com wrote that Ukraine is preparing 40,000 fighters for a counteroffensive. Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, believes that his country will be able to seize Crimea in five to seven months. The US White House this week announced that Ukraine has the ability to attack the regions annexed to the Russian Federation.
As tensions continue to mount in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, leaked military documents have shed new light on U.S. and NATO plans to bolster Ukraine’s armed forces. While the authenticity of these documents has not yet been fully confirmed, they paint a detailed picture of the military support being provided to Ukraine by outside powers. However, concerns have been raised about the possibility of the documents being selectively altered for propaganda purposes. With the situation in Ukraine remaining highly volatile, it remains to be seen how these revelations will impact the ongoing conflict.