WASHINGTON, April 7 (Reuters) – Russia or pro-Russian elements are likely behind the leak of classified US military documents posted on social media that give a month-old partial view of the war in Ukraine, three US officials told Reuters on Friday.
The documents appear to have been altered to reduce the number of casualties suffered by Russian forces, the sources said, adding that their assessments were informal and separate from an investigation into the leak itself.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter and declined to discuss the documents in detail.
The Kremlin and the Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Pentagon has refused to comment on the authenticity of the documents circulating on sites including Twitter and Telegram, which are dated March 1 and bear markings showing that they are classified as “Secret” and “Top Secret.”
“We are aware of the reports on the social media posts and the (Defense) Department is reviewing the matter,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said.
A document posted on social media said that between 16,000 and 17,500 Russian soldiers had been killed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The United States believes the true toll is much higher, at around 200,000 Russian dead and wounded. officials say.
The leak of documents came as speculation is mounting about what offensives kyiv and Moscow might attempt in the second year of the war. The documents did not appear to offer any specific information about Ukraine’s war plans.
A Ukrainian presidential official said on Friday the leak contained a “large amount of fictitious information” and appeared to be a Russian disinformation operation to cast doubt on Kiev’s planned counteroffensive. (Reporting by Phil Stewart, additional reporting by Idrees Ali. Editing in Spanish by Javier Leira)
Source: Ambito
