The leaked documents expose the extent of US eavesdropping on key allies such as South Korea, Israel, and Ukraine. They also reveal the degree to which the US has penetrated the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group, largely through intercepted communications and human sources. However, this information could now be cut off or put in danger due to the leak.
Furthermore, the documents divulge critical weaknesses in Ukrainian weaponry, air defense, and battalion sizes and readiness at a critical point in the war. This information could be used by Russia to their advantage and impede Ukrainian forces' ability to launch a counteroffensive. Ukraine has already had to alter some of its military plans because of the leak, according to a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Pentagon has launched an "interagency effort" to assess the impact of the leak, with officials examining distribution lists to determine who had access to these highly sensitive reports. The Joint Staff, which advises the president and comprises the Defense Department's most senior uniformed leadership, is leading this effort.
Diplomats from countries mentioned in the documents expressed frustration with the leak, and US allies are doing damage assessments to determine if any of their sources or methods have been compromised. A second Five Eyes nation official expressed concern about the leaked Ukraine war information handicapping the country on the battlefield.
CNN has reviewed 53 leaked documents, all of which appear to have been produced between mid-February and early March. One of the documents reveals that the US has been spying on Ukrainian President Zelensky, with intercepted communications suggesting that he suggested striking Russian deployment locations in Russia's Rostov Oblast using unmanned aerial vehicles. The intelligence could explain public US comments about not wanting to give Ukraine long-range missile systems over fears that Kyiv will use them to strike inside Russia.
The leak has led the Pentagon to take steps to tighten the flow of highly sensitive documents, which are normally available to hundreds of people across the government. While spying is a necessary part of how the US intelligence community collects information globally, diplomats from some of the countries mentioned in the leaked documents stated that it was frustrating and damaging to the US's reputation to see the information exposed publicly.
The Pentagon has referred the matter to the Justice Department, which has launched an investigation into the source of the leak. Discord, the social media platform where the documents appeared, has confirmed that they are cooperating with law enforcement on the investigation.
In conclusion, the leak of highly sensitive Pentagon documents has caused concern among US officials and their allies. The leak has the potential to compromise important foreign relationships and sensitive sources, and the Pentagon has launched an interagency effort to assess the impact of the leak. US allies are doing damage assessments to determine if any of their sources or methods have been compromised. The Justice Department has launched an investigation into the source of the leak, and Discord is cooperating with law enforcement on the investigation.
