What the leaked Pentagon documents tell us about US spy efforts
The US on many occasions has accused China, and even Russia of spying. But, the leak of classified US military documents shows that America has been spying not only on its foes but also on its allies.
The Pentagon documents that were first leaked on Telegram and later on other social media platforms, also reveal tactical information about the war in Ukraine and how the 'US spying program' has penetrated into Russian security services and has all the crucial details about their military operations.
US officials have told Reuters that Russia or pro-Russian elements are likely behind the leak. It has created an embarrassing situation for America, especially due to the documents which show that th US has been spying on friends like South Korea and Israel too.
What happened?
The classified Pentagon documents, which include photographs of printed classified files, were shared on Russian Telegram last week. Open-source intelligence organisation Bellingcat however suggests these documents made the rounds on some gaming image boards several weeks earlier.
On Friday (April 7), almost 100 more Pentagon documents were shared on Twitter. The documents revealed US's spy efforts in several countries including Russia, Israel, and South Korea, and detailed observations about the war in Ukraine.
The documents were dated ranging from February 23 to March 1. The Pentagon has declined to comment on the authenticity of the documents.
What do the documents reveal?
The highly confidential documents provide details on the progress of weapons and equipment going into Ukraine and other tactical information about the war. Some of the documents, which US officials told CNN are authentic, reveal how the US has been spying on allies South Korea, Israel, and Ukraine.
Some of these documents show how with the help of intercepted communications and human sources, the US has penetrated the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Russian mercenary organisation Wagner Group.
The details of briefings and analysis in the leaked documents show that the CIA has recruited human agents who reval the closed-door conversations of world leaders, the espionage in Russia shows a Russian mercenary outfit tried to acquire weapons from a NATO ally to use against Ukraine, reported The Washington Post.
The leaked documents also reveal the satellite imagery the US uses to track Russian forces, including an advanced technology that appears barely, if ever, to have been publicly identified, reported The Post.
Spying on allies
While spying on foes like Russia didn't come as a surprise, the leaked documents that show the US was spying on its friends has put the country in a precarious position.
One document accessed by CNN reveals that the US has been spying on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. One document shows that the US was aware that Zelensky in late February "suggested striking Russian deployment locations in Russia's Rostov Oblast" using unmanned aerial vehicles. The US has not given Ukraine long-range missile systems over fears that it will use them to strike inside Russia.
One leaked document said that senior Mossad officials advocated for the intelligence agency officials and Israeli citizens to protest the new Israeli government's proposed judicial reforms, reported The Guardian. The office of Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly rejected the claim made in one of the leaked documents.
In the documents leaked online, there are discussions about South Korea's internal debates about whether to give the US artillery shells. There were fears in South Korea that the US would divert them to Ukraine, violating Seoul's policy on providing lethal aid.
Another document, according to the NYT, talks about how the United States learned about the South Korean deliberations. The information was from "a signals intelligence report," a term spy agencies use for any kind of intercepted communications from phone calls to electronic messages.
US espionage in Russia
If the leaked documents are to be believed, the US has been able to intercept Russian targeting plans, down to which exact thermoelectric power plants, electric substations, and railroad and vehicle bridges Russian forces planned to attack inside Ukraine and when, reported CNN.
One entry discusses the Russian General Staff's plans to counter the tanks NATO countries were providing to Ukraine, and another entry talks about an information campaign being planned by the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit, in Africa trying to shape public opinion against the United States, reported The New York Times.
The documents show that US intelligence's espionage was so deep that it could warn Ukraine in advance of attacks and reliably assess the strengths and weaknesses of Russian forces, reported The Washington Post.
US response on the leak
The US Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into the leak of documents, a Defense Department spokesperson has said. The Pentagon has said that it is still assessing the validity of the documents.
"An interagency effort has been stood up, focused on assessing the impact these photographed documents could have on US national security and on our allies and partners," Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a statement. "Over the weekend, US officials have engaged with Allies and partners and have informed relevant congressional committees of jurisdiction about the disclosure," she said.
The leak has also led the Pentagon to take steps to tighten the flow of such highly sensitive documents, which are usually available to hundreds of people across the government.