Leak of classified documents could be damaging to the West

  • Another set of classified documents related to the war in Ukraine leaked
  • The leaks raise concerns about how the U.S. shares sensitive info
  • Some believe the leaks were intended to sow distrust with Ukraine and the U.S.

(NewsNation) — Another set of leaked classified documents related to the war in Ukraine have surfaced, and both American and Ukrainian officials are concerned about sensitive information ending up in Russian possession.

The leaked Pentagon documents were posted on social media, revealing secret American assessments of both Russia’s and Ukraine’s militaries during the thick of the war.

The leak also included information that the U.S. secretly gathered on its allies, including Ukrainian and South Korean officials, according to reporting from the New York Times.

The documents made public which Kremlin agencies U.S. intelligence has penetrated, which could have damaging consequences for the West and lead to Russia cutting off information streams that were landing in American hands.

The leak has also raised concerns about how the U.S. shares sensitive information with its closest allies, including those in the Five Eyes alliance: Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

From the Ukrainian perspective, officials believe the leaks were intended to sow distrust between Ukraine and the U.S. and its Western partners.

This follows another similar leak earlier in the week. The Pentagon confirmed the leaks happened, and the Department of Justice is now investigating.

In other news, tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated.

The Communist Chinese government has launched a series of military drills around Taiwan and slapped new sanctions on two American institutions.

Beijing promised to retaliate if House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen took place, and it did.

China flew fighter jets over Taiwan as part of a three-day drill announced one day after Tsai met with McCarthy. China also levied sanctions against the Reagan Library and the Hudson Institute and two Taiwanese organizations.

This follows a pattern of China responding with live-fire military drills and firing missiles over Taiwan’s coastline after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a delegation there in August.

Separately, a bipartisan group of House members made a surprise visit to Taiwan as part of a larger Southeast Asia tour.

Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul said the planned trip to Taiwan went ahead despite intimidation tactics from China.

McCaul said, “Being here I think sends a signal to the Chinese Communist Party that the United States supports Taiwan, that we’re going to harden Taiwan, and we want them to think twice about invading Taiwan.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

War in Ukraine

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Trending on NewsNation