Leaked U.S. Documents Shake Washington and Expose New Details of Intelligence Gathering

A major leak of classified U.S. documents has shaken Washington and exposed new details of its intelligence gathering. According to reports, the leak may have started in a chatroom on a social media platform popular with gamers.

The documents posted online appear to contain sensitive and highly classified material, though some may have been altered, according to Pentagon spokesperson Chris Meagher. The posts appear to have gone unnoticed outside of the chat until a few weeks ago, when they began to circulate more widely on social media.

The documents allegedly reveal that Ukrainian agents have pursued drone attacks inside Belarus and Russia, contrary to U.S. and Western wishes. They also suggest that leaders in Kyiv have considered further targets outside Ukraine.

John Bolton, who served as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser until September 2019, said in a statement that the documents “may be authentic, but may also be doctored or fabricated.” He added that “the decision to release them is a highly irresponsible act.”

The leak has caused some allied nations to reconsider their ongoing support for Kyiv, as the documents appear to show Ukraine launching operations inside other countries. It remains to be seen how the leak will affect U.S. relations with Ukraine and other countries.