Leaked US Documents Cast Doubt on Ukraine’s Military Capacity

By Staff, Agencies

A batch of US classified documents leaked on social media shows Washington has serious concerns about Ukraine's capacity to defend against Russia, according to a Tuesday report and documents reviewed by AFP.

The documents are part of a trove of highly sensitive material that has been posted online.

One top-secret document said tough Russian defenses and Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies will probably exacerbate casualties during offensives by Ukraine.

Another secret document detailed the dire state of Ukrainian air defenses. The document said Kiev’s ability to provide air defenses that protect the front line will be completely reduced by May 23.

One top-secret document said tough Russian defenses and "enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive," the Washington Post reported.

A "secret" document reviewed by AFP details the dire state of Ukrainian air defenses, which have been instrumental in protecting against Russian strikes and preventing Moscow's forces from gaining control of the skies.

The Washington Post reported that another document said Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the production of 40,000 rockets for shipment to Russia, telling officials to keep it secret to "avoid problems with the West."

White House “national security” spokesman John Kirby pushed back against the report.

"We've seen no indication that Egypt is providing lethal weaponry capabilities to Russia," Kirby told reporters. "Egypt is a significant security partner and remains so."

He also said that the United States is contacting allies and partners at "very high levels" in the wake of the release of the documents.

Scores of highly sensitive documents have been circulating on social media for months but only began to receive media attention last week.

The US is now trying to remove them. The White House says it is concerned there may be more documents to come.

Many of the documents relate to the war in Ukraine but others show Washington has been spying on its allies, including Kiev, Tel Aviv and Seoul.