Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his top security brass met Friday to look at ways to prevent leaks of military information, after secret documents detailing Western help for Ukraine reportedly ended up online, even though the Ukrainian president’s office did not confirm such a breach occurred.
A statement about the meeting that was issued by Zelenskyy’s office also did not refer to a New York Times report that said documents about U.S. and NATO plans to build up the Ukrainian military had been leaked online.
“The participants of the meeting focused on measures to prevent the leakage of information regarding the plans of the defence forces of Ukraine,” the statement said.
The Times reported Thursday the Pentagon was investigating how documents about plans to build up Ukrainian forces before their planned counter-offensive against invading Russian forces were posted on the social media channels Twitter and Telegram, which is widely used in Russia.
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Disinformation claim
Reuters was not immediately able to review the documents.
But the Times reported they contain details about the rate at which Ukrainian forces are going through ammunition for U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as lists of “Ukrainian troop units, equipment and training,” and how the timing of equipment deliveries “would impact training and readiness in order to meet the timeline” of combat brigades.
Both Ukraine and Russia have claimed the leaked material was disinformation, according to the Times.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters earlier that the document leak looked like a Russian operation to sow doubts about a spring counter-offensive.
He said the leaked data contained a “very large amount of fictitious information” and Russia appeared to be trying to seize back the initiative in its invasion, now in its 14th month.
“These are just standard elements of operational games by Russian intelligence. And nothing more,” Podolyak said in a written statement.
Ukrainian troops have for months faced a Russian onslaught in the east that has focused on the city of Bakhmut. Kyiv hopes its forces can launch a counter-offensive in the coming weeks or months to wrest back occupied territory.
“Russia is looking for any ways to seize back the initiative,” Podolyak said in the statement. “To try to influence the scenarios for Ukraine’s counteroffensive plans. To introduce doubts, to compromise the … ideas, and finally to intimidate (us) with how ‘informed’ they are.”
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Documents possibly modified
The Times said the documents appeared to have been modified in certain parts. One part offered an estimate for Ukrainian military losses that was far higher than Western estimates made available so far.
“For example, one of the slides said 16,000 to 17,500 Russian soldiers had been killed while Ukraine had suffered as many as 71,500 troop deaths. The Pentagon and other analysts have estimated that Russia has suffered far more casualties, with closer to 200,000 killed and injured, while Ukraine has had more than 100,000 killed and injured,” the Times reported.
Ukraine does not disclose the scale of its losses and is very sensitive about the subject.
Analysts who spoke to the Times said the portions of the documents seemed to be authentic but it’s unclear what impact the information they contain may have on the battle lines.
“[The documents] do not provide specific battle plans, and because they are five weeks old, they offer only a snapshot of time — the American and Ukrainian view, as of March 1, of what Ukrainian troops might need for the campaign, might need for the campaign,” the report stated.
The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
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