A large number of classified documents leaked from the US revealed that Ukraine’s counter-offensive plan has been quickly adjusted

Russia or its Allies are likely to be behind the leak of classified Pentagon documents containing some details of the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing US officials.

Three US officials say it is likely that Moscow or Russian loyalists were behind the leaking of several classified US military documents on social media, including parts of the month-old war in Ukraine.

US officials said the documents appeared to have been altered to reduce the number of Russian military casualties, adding that their assessment was unofficial and unrelated to the investigation into the leak itself.

The leaked documents show Ukraine’s combat capabilities, potential vulnerabilities and extensive efforts by NATO to help Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The documents date back more than a month and also contain classified U.S. national security information related to the Middle East and China.
In a separate development, the Justice Department announced an investigation into the matter in a statement, and The New York Times reported Thursday that the Pentagon is investigating how the documents were leaked.

The New York Times reports that a set of documents believed to detail US national security secrets has begun appearing on social networking sites.

The New York Times, citing US officials, said the number of documents was more than 100. It quoted sources as saying the leak was a nightmare for the US, Britain and Australia, as well as New Zealand and Canada, which exchange intelligence information.

Citing a former Pentagon official, The New York Times reported that the leaks appeared to be a deliberate attempt to undermine efforts by Ukraine, the United States and NATO.

In Ukraine’s first official comment on the leak of classified Pentagon documents, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said the information about Ukraine’s preparations for a counterattack was disinformation. It was Russian disinformation.

Podolyak describes the state of Russian intelligence as having deteriorated since the collapse of the Soviet Union to the point where it cannot recover itself, except through a process of falsifying images and spreading disinformation.
The adviser spoke of Moscow’s attempts to undermine Ukraine’s counterattack, which would reveal Kiev’s plans on the ground.

Against this backdrop, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that there was no choice but to return the Russian-occupied Crimea to Ukrainian control.
“The world should know that respect and order will be restored to international relations only when the Ukrainian flag returns to Crimea,” Mr. Zelensky said in a video message released by his office.

“Ending the occupation of Crimea is irreplaceable, not only for Ukraine, but for the whole world,” Mr. Zelensky said in a separate video of his meeting with Muslim military personnel, including representatives of Crimean Tatars.