According to sources cited by The Washington Post, the Pentagon has implemented strict restrictions on the distribution of intelligence information due to the discovery of classified documents on social media. The article suggests that these measures indicate a significant level of concern among Pentagon leadership. European allies are worried that the US may restrict their access to intelligence due to the leaks, as many of the documents contain notes prohibiting transfer to foreign nationals. Some of the leaked intelligence concerns UK and Canadian activities and may be accessible to members of the Five Eyes alliance. The leak reportedly contains a broad range of details about US intelligence operations and has angered many US officials and foreign allies. Ukrainian officials, in particular, are outraged by the release of information about the army’s attrition rate and are concerned about possible future leaks. The leak affects almost all areas of US intelligence and reveals how the CIA recruits agents and monitors Russian army activity. The US Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the matter, and the Russian government has expressed suspicions about US and NATO involvement in the leak.
The Pentagon has restricted the flow of intelligence information in response to the emergence of classified documents on social networks, sources told The Washington Post. They believe that such restrictions are “unusually strict” and that this indicates “a high level of panic among the leadership of the Pentagon.”
In European countries, they are concerned that because of the leak, Washington could limit the access of allies to its intelligence, the newspaper claims. She notes that many of the published documents contain notes about the prohibition of transfer to foreign nationals.
Some of the materials can also be received by members of the Five Eyes, an intelligence alliance of Australia, Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. According to WP, among the documents there is intelligence about the activities of the UK and Canada.
US officials and their foreign allies “were appalled and in some cases enraged by the unusually wide range of details that reveal how the US is spying on friend and foe alike.” In addition, the leak outraged Ukrainian officials, as they contained information about the level of attrition of the army. It is alleged that Kyiv “tried to hide from the Kremlin vulnerabilities related to the lack of ammunition and other data on the situation on the battlefield.” The Ukrainian authorities are also concerned about the possible publication of new information.
According to WP, the leak affects almost all areas of the US intelligence apparatus. For example, it reveals how the CIA recruits agents “initiated into the closed conversations of world leaders” and how Washington monitors the actions of the Russian army. The Washington Post data is similar to the information provided by The New York Times after analysis. Earlier, she said that the leak complicated Washington’s relations with allies and showed that the United States could spy on the leadership of Ukraine. It was alleged that the American administration fears that after the publication, Moscow will be able to figure out through which channels the United States is collecting information about the plans of the Russian Federation.
Secret US intelligence documents surfaced on social media this week. Initially, materials were published on Ukraine’s plans for a counteroffensive. Later documents also appeared on China and the Middle East. The US Department of Justice launched an investigation. The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the leak, said that Moscow had no doubts about the direct or indirect involvement of the United States and NATO in the conflict. Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, called the leak a “virtual pseudo-drain”.
The leak of classified US intelligence documents on social media has sparked concern and outrage among officials and allies alike. The Pentagon has responded by restricting the flow of intelligence information, indicating a high level of panic among its leadership. European countries worry that the leak could result in limited access to US intelligence for allies. The leaked materials cover a wide range of US intelligence activities, including spying on friend and foe alike. The leak has also stirred up controversy in Ukraine, revealing vulnerabilities in its army and leading to concerns about possible future leaks. The US Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the leak, and Russia has expressed suspicions of US and NATO involvement. It remains to be seen what further consequences this leak will have on US intelligence operations and its relationships with allies.