4 major revelations from top secret US documents on the Ukraine war
Ukraine's spring counter-offensive could bring "modest gains", classified US documents suggest
Dozens of top secret documents from the United States are circulating on the internet.
Images of the classified files appeared on the Discord messaging app in February.
With timelines and dozens of military terms, the documents, some marked highly confidential, paint a detailed picture of the war in Ukraine and provide insight into China and its allies .
Pentagon officials have indicated that the documents are real.
1. Western special forces operate inside Ukraine
One document, dated March 23, refers to the presence of a small number of Western special forces operating inside Ukraine, without specifying their activities or location.
The UK has the largest contingent (50 agents), followed by Latvia (17), France (15), the United States (14) and the Netherlands (1).
Western governments generally refrain from commenting on such sensitive matters, but Moscow is likely to take advantage of this information, as in recent months it has argued that it is not just up against Ukraine, but NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) as well.
Other documents specify when 10 new Ukrainian brigades will be ready, preparing for an offensive that could start in a few weeks.
They list, in great detail, the tanks, armored vehicles and artillery pieces supplied by Ukraine's western allies.
A map shows a timeline assessing conditions on the ground in eastern Ukraine as spring progresses.
According to the American newspaper The Washington Post , a document from early February casts doubt on Ukraine's chances of achieving military success in its next counter-offensive, noting that problems in generating and maintaining its forces could result in "modest territorial gains" .
Documents Examine Conditions Over Terrain That Ukraine's Soldiers Are Tend To Face
In addition, Ukraine's difficulties maintaining its vital air defenses are discussed, with warnings since late February that Kiev may run out of crucial missiles.
Casualties are also listed. One slide mentions up to 223,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded and up to 131,000 Ukrainians.
Some Ukrainian officials downplayed the leaks, speculating that they could constitute a Russian disinformation campaign. However, there are also signs of frustration and anger over the revelations.
Mikhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted: "We need less 'leakage' considerations [of information] and more long-range weapons to end the war properly."
2. Egypt secretly planned to supply weapons to Russia
Documents indicate that Egyptian President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi told his subordinates to keep the sale of rockets to Russia a secret.
The Washington Post gained access to another document from mid-February indicating that Egypt had plans to secretly produce 40,000 rockets for Russia.
The daily reported that Egyptian President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi had told the country's authorities to keep production and transport secret "to avoid problems with the West".
One official is quoted as saying he would order his people "to work in shifts if necessary, because it was the least Egypt could do to pay Russia for previously unspecified aid".
In January, the Reuters news agency reported that Russia's share of Egyptian wheat imports had increased in 2022, which could be an explanation.
There is no indication that Egypt has gone ahead with the proposed sale to Russia. It is not known whether the initiative was halted as a result of a direct warning from Washington.
Egypt is one of the biggest recipients of US security assistance, worth about $1 billion a year, giving President Joe Biden's administration considerable influence over the country.
An unnamed official, quoted in Egyptian news channels, described the allegation as "totally unfounded", saying Cairo had not taken sides in the war.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin described the accusation as "just another hoax".
3. South Korea divided over arms supply to Ukraine
South Korean government seeks to avoid antagonizing Putin
A confidential document, seen by the BBC, reveals that South Korea was divided over the decision to sell weapons for use in Ukraine.
The report, based on intelligence data, details a sensitive conversation between South Korean national security advisers.
They are torn between US pressure to send munitions to Ukraine and its policy not to arm countries at war.
One of the advisers suggests sending the missiles to Poland.
As part of a resupply deal last year, the South Korean government insisted that the US could not transfer the projectiles to Ukraine.
Seoul is reluctant to send weapons to Ukraine for fear of antagonizing Russia.
The leak raised security concerns, with opposition politicians questioning how the United States could intercept such a high-level conversation.
4. China Tested Hypersonic Weapons in February
The Washington Post also found that on Feb. 25, Beijing tested one of its experimental missiles, the DF-27 hypersonic vehicle.
The missile flew for 12 minutes at a distance of 2,100 kilometers, according to the documents.
The newspaper reported that the experimental missile had a "high probability" of penetrating US ballistic missile defense systems.
The report also included details of a new Chinese warship and a rocket launch in March that would improve China's mapping capabilities.
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