‘Secret US war plan’ leak reveals wild Ukraine escalation and coming bloodbath

The Pentagon is investigating leaks of its ‘top secret’ plans for a spring offensive, with sensational claims American, British and French special forces are in Ukraine.

AFP

The Pentagon launched an investigation into the purported leak of US and NATO ‘top secret’ war plans for Ukraine’s coming spring offensive, which predict an estimated body count of up to 61,000 “killed in action”.

In a sensational breach of security, the documents also claim that special forces troops from the US, the United Kingdom, France and Latvia are covertly operating in Ukraine. The presence – and confirmation – of Western troops in Ukraine would be a major escalation in the conflict.

At least six images of the documents, which appeared on 4chan on Wednesday before circulating on pro-Kremlin Telegram on Thursday, claim to show the United States, United Kingdom, and NATO efforts to map the outcome of the next major offensive in Ukraine.

The United States Department of Defence has launched a full inquiry into who is responsible for the potentially damaging leak of classified military material, which the White House is reportedly responding to under the theory they’re authentic.

“We are aware of the reports of social media posts and the department is reviewing the matter,” said the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh.

Ukrainian troops train for an upcoming spring offensive. Picture: AFP

The documents appear to be five weeks old and show and show the view of Ukraine and its Western allies from March 1, according to The New York Times, which was the first to report the leak.

US officials were also trying to have the files taken down off the social media sites as the Biden administration responded as though the leak is authentic, they added.

The documents, some marked with “top secret” and others “secret”, don’t reveal timelines, battle plans or manoeuvres but outline the expected combat “losses”, which were assessed as between 16,000 to 17,500 Ukrainians and 35,000 to 43,500 Russians “KIA”, or killed in action.

It also showed Ukraine’s expected losses of 60 fighters and bombers, and 32 rotary-wing aircraft, along with 45 strategic and tactical SAMS, (surface-to-air missiles).

Russia, meanwhile, was predicted to lose 72 fighters and bombers, and 82 rotary wing aircraft along with more than 6,000 ground vehicles.

Other documents include maps, charts of weapons deliveries, troop and battalion strength, and training timelines as the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) have been building up the strength of the Ukrainian Army

The major counter-attack is expected to end with up to 61,000 Ukrainians and Russian troops killed. Picture: AFP

NATO countries have been supplying and training Ukraine in Western weaponry, and the documents claim to show the number of tanks, fighting vehicles and artillery being supplied to nine brigades, and the countries through which they’re being supplied.

If the documents are authentic, they could provide useful intelligence to the Kremlin on the combat readiness and composition of Ukraine’s forces, as well as Ukraine’s assessment of Russia’s forces.

Another slide claims that less than 100 British, American, French and Latvian special-operations troops are in Ukraine, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Military analysts noted that soon after the documents appeared online, photoshop versions began circulating showing figures that reduced the number of Russian losses and increased the number of Ukraine losses.

Ukrainian presidential official, Mykhailo Podolyak, said the leak looked like a Russian disinformation operation, saying that it contained a “very large amount of fictitious information”.

The purported leak of plans for Ukraine’s counteroffensive, previously predicted to be launched sometime in April, came the day after the US Department of Defence announced another $2.6 million aid package, including anti-drone guns, Patriot air defence munitions, High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) missiles, and artillery rounds.

It also includes ammunition for US Abrams tanks, grenade launchers, mortar rounds and a fleet of utility vehicles, with its stated purpose of building up the Ukraine army, which has been training 40,000 new troops ahead of the anticipated offensive.

According to the documents, six of the nine brigades being trained by NATO allies were scheduled to be ready by March 31, and the other three by April 30.

In an interview with German newspaper Funke Mediengruppe published on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine could start a counteroffensive in the next few weeks.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed the leaks, saying Blinken’s remarks were a matter for examination by Russia’s military than a cause for concern in Moscow.

“They [the Russian military] thoroughly track down all relevant information and take it into account when planning the progress of the special military operation,” he said, according to the TASS news agency.

Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin previously told the US Senate Committee on Armed Services that Ukraine “will have a very good chance of success” in the coming counteroffensive.

“I think we’ll see an increase in fighting in the spring as the conditions for manoeuvre improve, and based on the things that we’ve done and continue to do,” he added.

Originally published as ‘Secret US war plan’ leak reveals wild Ukraine escalation and coming bloodbath