White House says ‘we truly don’t know’ if Ukraine war leak is contained
Haisten Willis
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The White House on Monday said it is not known whether the intelligence leak concerning the war in Ukraine has been contained.
A trove of Pentagon documents that were leaked online show just how deeply the United States has penetrated Russian security and intelligence services, allowing military officials to warn Ukraine about planned attacks amid the Kremlin’s invasion. The Biden administration is scrambling to handle the fallout from the leak and stressed that the situation is in its early phases.
LEAKED PENTAGON DOCUMENTS SHOW HOW DEEP US HAS PENETRATED RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE
“We don’t know,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said when asked if the leak has been contained. “We truly don’t know.”
Among other things, the documents detail Russia’s weaknesses as it struggles to overcome Ukrainian forces in its 14-month invasion, indicating several compromises in the military’s communications. The documents show multiple instances in which U.S. intelligence agencies have been tipped off about Russian strikes, allowing the U.S. to warn Ukraine ahead of time.
The level of detail in the reports could even suggest the U.S. may have a spy in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, which could result in a “mole hunt” in Moscow that endangers the life of the source.
Kirby took a series of questions on the leaks, stressing that it isn’t known how much of the released information is accurate and that none of it should be in the public domain.
“Is the White House concerned about the period of time that elapsed from when [the leaks] were posted to when they started to gain traction?” asked Washington Examiner reporter Naomi Lim.
“We’re worried that the documents are out there,” Kirby answered. “They shouldn’t be out there, period. That’s the big worry.”
The revelations have prompted widespread concerns among U.S. intelligence officials as they continue to monitor the war in Ukraine. The documents don’t explicitly detail how the U.S. has penetrated Russian intelligence, and it’s not yet clear whether the Kremlin can cut off their information sources.
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President Joe Biden was briefed on the leak last week, according to Kirby, and has been in direct contact with national security officials since. The situation has been referred to the Department of Justice, which will investigate further.
“The American people need to know, and deserve to know, that we’re taking this very seriously,” Kirby said. “There is no excuse for these kinds of documents to be in the public domain. … We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
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