(TheConservativeTimes.org) – So far 53 documents have leaked online in what the Department of Defense, known as the DOD, says are “sensitive and highly-classified materials”.
The documents described by the DOD are briefings reserved between people with the necessary security clearances. Further, the documents offer details on the war in Ukraine and battlefield assessments, but seem to have been leaked from an outside source other than the Pentagon.
The alleged leaked documents are photos and appear similar in format to ones used by senior leaders within the intelligence community. They reflect the depletion of Ukranian air defense supplies for the S-300 air defense system and highlight US intelligence concerns that these dwindling supplies may lead Russia to overtake Ukraine by May of this year. The documents cover the briefings and assessments from February to early March.
The leak also shows classified intelligence documents that are not in any Department of Defense briefing books. These documents appear to be a product of other intelligence agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency or National Security Agency. The Pentagon itself claims that this intelligence is not readily accessible within their ranks, which further suggests the Pentagon is an unlikely source of the leak.
A statement by Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary, Sabrina Singh reads, “Over the weekend, U.S. officials have engaged with Allies and partners and have informed relevant congressional committees of jurisdiction about the disclosure, the Department of Defense’s highest priority is the defense of our nation and our national security.”
The documents, first reported on by the New York Times, cover a myriad of countries and issues that have set the international community on edge. US foreign allies and enemies alike have started discrediting the information found within the leaked documents.
Efforts to remove the documents from the internet are ongoing by U.S. officials. A criminal investigation into the intelligence breach has been launched by the Department of Justice although the full scope of the leak is not yet known.
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