For several months, confidential American documents have been circulating on the social networks twitter, Telegram and Discord, in complete discretion.
After the New York Times
revelations
on April 6, the Pentagon confirmed that a leak had taken place, but did not communicate on the veracity of the information revealed.
Especially since since then, on social networks, certain documents have been taken up and republished, such as this modified balance sheet considerably limiting the human and material losses of the Russian army.
To discover
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The Pentagon, however, said the leak posed a
"very serious risk"
to US national security.
According to Defense Department spokesman Chris Meagher,
"photos appear to show documents in a format similar to that used to provide daily updates to our senior Ukraine and Russia operations. , as well as other intelligence updates”
, but some
“appear to have been modified”
.
Information could also
"lead people to death"
, he said.
US justice and the FBI have opened investigations to find the origin of the leak.
The weakened Russian and Ukrainian armies
The first revelations relate to the war in Ukraine and American aid to kyiv.
The documents do not directly concern Ukrainian military strategy, but provide information on its resources, with low stocks of anti-aircraft ammunition.
The documents evoke the doubts of the American authorities on the real chances of success of a counter-offensive.
"Even if the leaked documents estimate that the Ukrainians will not achieve the same [military] gains this year as those obtained before last winter, it is very difficult to measure their will", explains to Le Figaro Michael Mulroy, a former official at
the Pentagon and co-founder of the Lobo Institute, specialized in conflicts.
“
After all, almost every intelligence service predicted that Kyiv would fall within weeks.
A year later, we are talking more about the time it will take for the Ukrainians to repel the Russians from their country, ”he adds.
The documents testify to the significant capacity of American intelligence to monitor the Russian army, which would have enabled them to warn kyiv before certain attacks.
According to these documents, the Russian army would also experience great material difficulties in the war in Ukraine.
The morale of the troops would also be affected, and these leaks would show
"the little faith that the Russian military leadership, including General Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of Staff, has in President Putin
", underlines Michael Mulroy.
The United States finds itself in an embarrassment, because among the documents, published mainly by the
New York Times
and the
Washington post
, some would reveal the surveillance of allied countries, such as Israel, North Korea or Egypt, on subjects more or less related to the conflict in Ukraine.
Surveillance of allied countries
According to documents published by the
New York Times,
advisers to South Korean President Yoon Suk were concerned that the United States could supply Ukraine with artillery shells purchased from Korea for a year.
Seoul had agreed to sell these armaments on the condition that they remain in the hands of Washington, Korea not wanting to provide military aid to a country at war.
Other states would have liked to discreetly sell weapons to Russia.
A document, revealed by the
Washington post
, transcribed a conversation between the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al Sissi, and a senior official of his army, where it is a question of secretly delivering 40,000 rockets to Russia.
The president reportedly told the soldier to remain discreet
"to avoid problems with the West"
.
The spokesman for the American National Security Council, John Kirby, a body attached to President Joe Biden, denied this "information", stating that "Egypt is
and remains an important partner on security issues"
.
The head of Israeli intelligence against the government
Other countries would have wanted to secretly support Ukraine.
Serbia has not imposed sanctions on Russia, which it has remained close to since the war in the former Yugoslavia.
However, a document shows that the Serbian government would have liked to supply arms to Ukraine, while the country openly displayed its political affinities with Moscow.
Other documents reveal surveillance of countries allied with the United States, unrelated to the war in Ukraine.
The head of the Mossad, Israeli intelligence, is said to have encouraged his employees and demonstrators to oppose the justice reform wanted by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
Another document points out the hostility of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Victor Orban, towards the United States.
He reportedly called the United States one of his political party's top three enemies during a meeting in February.
The activities of Wagner or Iran
The documents do not concern only allied countries.
According to the
Washington Post
, a report captures a conversation between Iranian leaders ahead of a planned visit by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, to discuss whether to allow local media to cover it. and, if so, how to do so to enhance the scheme.
The Head of the IAEA was going to Iran to verify the absence of a military nuclear program.
Other documents relate to the paramilitary group Wagner.
He allegedly approached Turkey to buy military equipment from him for the war in Ukraine, according to The
New York Times
, without the document specifying whether Turkey had agreed or not.
The group would also have considered going
"discreetly"
to Haiti to discuss with the government a possible intervention in the country, plagued by insecurity because of gangs.
