‘Nightmare’ for Australia as more top secret documents leaked online | CPT PPP Coverage

Cryptopolytech (CPT) Public Press Pass (PPP)
News of the Day COVERAGE

200000048 – World Newser
•| #World |•| #Online |•| #Media |•| #Outlet |

View more Headlines & Breaking News here, as covered by cryptopolytech.com

Analysts believe more than 100 documents have been released to social media sites Twitter, Telegram, 4chan and other sites on Friday (local time).

The classified material included briefings on China, the Indo-Pacific region, the Middle East and terrorism, the New York Times reported.

It could be hugely damaging and become what one senior intelligence official described as a “nightmare” for the “Five Eyes” alliance of the US, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, who share surveillance information with each other.

Further information relating to Ukraine and Russia were also leaked, following the initial breach one day earlier where classified documents from the US and NATO detailed how it would support the war-torn nation’s counteroffensives in spring.

Charts of anticipated weapons deliveries and troop and battalion strengths were just some of what was in the material, which was labelled “secret” and “top secret”.

Military analysts said the documents, which were posted to Twitter and Telegram as photographs, appear to have been modified from their original format in places, leading some to suggest they were being used as part of a disinformation campaign.

There are no specific battle plans contained in the leak, such as when, where or how Ukraine plans to launch its counteroffensive, and it only offers a snapshot of what American and Ukrainian planners believe would be required as of March 1.

However, to the trained eye of a Russian war planner, field general or intelligence analyst they contain important clues about the state of Ukraine’s military and a window into the thinking of its allies.

For example, the documents divulge the expenditure rate of American-supplied HIMARS rocket systems, which Ukrainian defenders have used with great effect against targets like ammunition dumps, infrastructure and concentrations of troops.

The US has not said publicly how fast Ukraine is burning through its supply of the rockets, but the leaked documents do.

Biden administration officials scrambled to delete the posts, which first surfaced from pro-Russian accounts on Thursday (local time).

Officials have launched an investigation. Some, who were no involved in the probe, believe Russia was behind the leak amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The documents appeared to have been altered to lower Russian soldier casualties in the war and overstate American estimates of Ukraine war deaths.

It claimed “16K-17.5K” Russian soldiers had been killed and compared that to the “61K-71.5K” dead Ukrainian troops so far.

The Pentagon confirmed the material was from the Defence Department but noted the alterations to some of the copies, according to the New York Times.

Ukrainian officials suggested on Friday the leak was a misinformation campaign by Russia as frontline troops battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut.

However, Russian bloggers suggested the supposed leak was a ploy by “Western intelligence to mislead our command”.

Sabrina Singh, deputy press secretary at the Pentagon, told the New York Times they were “aware” of the first social posts and the department is reviewing the matter.”