0 out of 25,000

Quality journalism takes work — and a community that cares.
Help us reach 25,000 members by the end of 2025.

News Feed

Washington Post: Leaked documents show Ukraine planned attacks on Russian forces in Syria

1 min read

Ukraine's military intelligence made plans to conduct covert attacks on Russian forces operating in Syria with the help of Kurds, leaked U.S. intelligence documents show, the Washington Post reported.

The plans appear to have been aimed at Russian and Kremlin-backed private mercenary Wagner Group, active both in Ukraine and Syria.

The plans were terminated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but the leaked documents, dated to late January, detailed the possible plan of action the Main Directorate of Intelligence, Ukraine's Defense Ministry’s military intelligence agency, could have taken to carry out attacks that would have provided Ukraine with plausible deniability.

The leaked documents are part of a trove of classified U.S. military and intelligence files that appeared on the social media network Discord. The U.S. arrested a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman on April 13, suspected of leaking the documents.

Another leaked document suggested that China had refused a request from the Wager Group request for weapons, the Financial Times reported on April 20.

Explainer: What we learned from Pentagon leak and why it matters
Avatar
Liliane Bivings

Business Editor

Liliane is the business editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked at the Kyiv Post as a staff writer covering business news and then as business editor. Liliane holds a master’s degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian affairs with a focus on Ukrainian studies at Columbia University. From 2017-2020 she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, after which she interned with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Liliane is the author of the Ukraine Business Roundup newsletter, which is sent out every Tuesday.

Read more
News Feed

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Nov. 25 that there is no specific deadline for Ukraine to accept the initially drafted 28-point proposal, easing previous statements that implied he hoped for a Thanksgiving agreement. "The deadline for me is when it’s over," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

 (Updated:  )

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll traveled to Abu Dhabi on Nov. 24 for negotiations with Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, and a Russian delegation, Driscoll's spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Tolbert, confirmed to Axios.

Show More