Leaked Pentagon documents reveal how deeply Russia’s security and intelligence services have been penetrated by the United States, the New York Times reports, adding that they portray a battered Russian military "that is struggling in its war in Ukraine and a military apparatus that is deeply compromised."
The leaked documents, the source of which remains uknown, provide a grim assessment of the strength of Moscow’s war machine. But the information also suggests the Ukrainian military is in dire straits, too.
The documents dated from late February and early March outline critical shortages of air defense munitions and discuss the gains being made by Russian troops around the Donetsk Oblast's city of Bakhmut.
"The material reinforces an idea that intelligence officials have long acknowledged: The United States has a clearer understanding of Russian military operations than it does of Ukrainian planning," the NYT reports.
Current and former officials say it is too soon to know the extent of the damage, but if Russia is able to determine how the U.S. collects its information and cuts off that flow, it may have an effect on the battlefield in Ukraine. After reviewing the documents, a senior Western intelligence official interviewed by the NYT, said the release of the material was "painful" and suggested that it could curb intelligence sharing.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
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