DOJ opens investigation into leak of ‘Top Secret’ US docs

Reuters reported that the topics covered in the documents include dealings in Ukraine, China, the Middle East, and even Africa. It was reported on Friday that it was likely Russian or pro-Russian actors who were behind the leak of military records, which apparently included a partial, “month-long snapshot” of the war in Ukraine.

Michael Mulroy, a former senior Pentagon official, suggested that the “focus now is on this being a US leak, as many of the documents were only in US hands.”

However, it is not out of the realm of plausibility that this could be a pro-Russian operation, which would make it the largest security breach since Wikileaks released 700,000 documents, videos, and various diplomatic cables in 2013. This investigation is reportedly in its early stages, per the report.

The EurAsian Times tweeted four photos of what appear to be maps with various information concerning the war in Ukraine, saying: “Secret US plans for supplying aid to Ukraine ahead of an expected offensive were posted on social media this week, prompting a Pentagon investigation.”

There have apparently been two US officials who have not discounted the possibility that the documents have been doctored in some way meant to mislead investigators as to their origin, which could ultimately harm US security interests, per Reuters.

The Washington Times reported that most of the documents detail information that is already months old. However, there were also documents labeled “Top Secret” - the highest security designation for any document in the country. Though many of the documents have since been deleted, there are those who have managed to download 60 papers, per the report.

The Department of Justice has apparently opened up a criminal investigation into the incident. This information is thought to be potentially useful to Russia and its allies in the ongoing conflict taking place in eastern Europe.