DOJ investigating possible leak of Ukrainian aid documents

Ukrainian soldiers driving a tank.
(Image credit: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating an apparent leak of classified war documents relating to plans by the United States and NATO to support Ukraine's fight against Russia, Pentagon officials said Friday.

The documents were reportedly leaked from the Department of Defense (DOD) in recent weeks, and were posted on numerous social media sites. The files reportedly "contain classified information on topics ranging from the mercenary Wagner Group's operations in Africa and Israel's pathways to providing lethal aid to Ukraine, to intelligence about the United Arab Emirates' ties to Russia and South Korean concerns about providing ammunition to the U.S. for use in Ukraine," according to CNN.

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For instance, the documents mentioned Ukraine's expenditure rate of American-supplied rocket systems, the Times reported, a figure that has not been publicly released.

The DOJ told CNN that it had "been in communication with the Department of Defense related to this matter and have begun an investigation," but would not comment further. In a separate statement to The Hill, though, Sabrina Singh, the deputy press secretary at the Pentagon, said the DOD was "actively reviewing the matter, and has made a formal referral to the Department of Justice for investigation."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly addressed the leaks during a meeting with his senior staff on Friday. This meeting, among other things, "focused on measures to prevent the leakage of information regarding the plans of the defense forces of Ukraine," Zelensky's office said in a press release.

Justin Klawans, The Week US

Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.