On Easter Sunday, the Department of Defense released what The Daily Wire described as its most informative proclamation seen so far about an alleged leak of classified intel.
According to the outlet, previous public remarks by the Pentagon only specified that it knew of the images and that it is pursuing a criminal investigation with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“An interagency effort has been stood up, focused on assessing the impact these photographed documents could have on U.S. national security and on our Allies and partners,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh reportedly stated. “Over the weekend, U.S. officials have engaged with Allies and partners and have informed relevant congressional committees of jurisdiction about the disclosure.”
matter to the Department of Justice, which has opened a criminal investigation.” (2/2) pic.twitter.com/jFnnKyGzO6
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) April 10, 2023
The deputy press secretary additionally acknowledged on Sunday that the DOJ had launched a criminal probe.
CBS Mornings reported that Pentagon officials relayed the trove of documents “appear[s] to contain sensitive and highly classified material” on a myriad of topics, including the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Pentagon officials are investigating the reported leak of documents on social media that they say “appear to contain sensitive and highly classified material,” including information about the war effort in Ukraine. https://t.co/OtmhG9BRYR pic.twitter.com/pd2RnOEtsP
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) April 10, 2023
Some are describing these leaks as one the worst national security leaks in U.S. history. According to The Hill, documents from the alleged leak were being passed around online platforms such as Discord for over a month before the Justice Department and Pentagon began their investigations. Another reported platform where the files spread included Minecraft, a popular sandbox game for kids aged seven years and older.
Discord is not taking the matter lightly — a representative of the application commented on the “apparent breach of classified material,” assuring that the company’s “Safety team” will address the matter through various means, including “banning users,” closing down servers, and even “engaging with law enforcement.”
The New York Times stated that military analysts have warned that some of the leaked documents may be fraudulent, with a prime example being the potential inaccuracy of the predicted number of fatalities on both sides of the Ukraine war. It additionally suggests the U.S. is more informed about Russia’s military efforts than those of Ukraine, according to the Daily Wire. Such an allegation is a curious one when one considers the U.S. has spent about $200 billion in favor of Ukraine and against Russia.
