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Journalism of Courage
Just days after dozens of classified Pentagon documents about the Russia-Ukraine war were leaked on social media platforms, Kyiv has amended some of its military plans, Reuters reported on Monday.
The news report quoted some Ukrainian officials, who claimed that the leaked documents “contained fictitious information and looked like a Russian disinformation campaign.” However, as per CNN, Pentagon officials have admitted that the documents are real, but they seem to have been edited in some places.
“Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh would not weigh in on the documents’ legitimacy but said in a statement that the Defense Department is “aware of the reports of social media posts, and the Department is reviewing the matter,”” the news outlet reported.
The documents — some of them are as much as six weeks old — give a detailed insight into the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine as they reveal information about the battle of Bakhmut, casualties on both sides, weapon deliveries and military strategy. Moreover, they also show that the US has not only been spying on Russia but also on Ukraine, Israel and South Korea.
*Ukraine’s air defence at risk: To tackle Russia’s air force, Kyiv is currently using Soviet-era S-300 and Bulk air defence systems. However, the leaked documents show that the country would run out of them by May or mid-April if it isn’t provided with a huge influx of munitions.
The New York Times reported, “The Ukrainian air defences designed to protect troops on the front line, where much of Russia’s air power is concentrated, will “be completely reduced” by May 23”, as per the documents. This could give a boost to Russia’s war effort, which might use its fighter jets and bombers in the absence of air defences to tilt the battle’s outcome in its favour.
*Ukraine narrowly escaped defeat in the battle of Bakhmut: The leaked documents reveal that in late February this year, Russian forces nearly encircled the Ukrainian military in the town of Bakhmut, which has been a scene of fierce fighting for months now. While the situation was described as “catastrophic” by Ukraine’s director of military intelligence, one senior Ukrainian military official pointed out that the soldiers’ morale at the time was low as there wasn’t enough ammunition to fight.
In the end, Ukrainian forces with the help of elite units were able to push away the Russians, but “it came at a strategic cost for Ukraine, which has been seeking to retain its best trained and equipped soldiers for a counteroffensive anticipated in the coming weeks or months.,” NYT said.
*Hesitance of Israel and South Korea to help Ukraine: The documents have also given the details about the US’s allies, who remain sceptical about providing arms to Kyiv. For instance, when South Korea supplied artillery shells to help the US replenish its stockpiles, it feared that the Americans would direct the weapons to Ukraine. NYT said the leaders of the Asian country were “torn between Washington’s pressure on Seoul to help supply ammunition to Ukraine and its official policy of not providing lethal weapons to countries at war.”
Similarly, Israel also expressed its hesitation in sending its weapons to Kyiv. Although the country is helping Ukraine develop a custom-made, smart early-warning system, it has refused to supply any lethal weapons. However, this might change soon as in the following months, Israel could deliver lethal defence systems to Ukraine through third parties, according to the leaked documents.
*Bonus pay to destroy tanks: In a bid to encourage its soldiers and boost their morale, the Russian military has adopted the tactic of offering monetary benefits. The documents mentioned, “Financial incentives would be offered for the capture and destruction of foreign tanks, and videos of tanks being destroyed would be widely distributed to reduce the confidence of Ukraine and the West and reassure Russian troops of their ability to overcome this new weaponry”.
*Rise of the Wagner Group: Allegedly owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Wagner Group also found mention in the documents. Pentagon has claimed that the military organisation is trying to undermine America’s operations in Africa and get weapons from an outpost in Mali.
