Explained: From Israel to Egypt, the most damaging revelations from US documents leaks

The United States officials are investigating the apparent leak of highly sensitive military and defence documents as the Pentagon recently said that the leak presents a "very serious" risk to national security. A trove of highly classified military and intelligence documents appeared online, becoming an embarrassment and a headache for America as it released details of secret information linked to the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel's spy agency Mossad, South Korea, and more.

The documents labelled as "Secret" and "Top Secret" started circulating online in March and were on social media platforms such as Twitter, Telegram, Discord, and more. The leak was first reported by The New York Times, but there's a possibility that itcould have started as early as January. There were indications that some of the documents could have been altered.

Some US officials blamed Russia or pro-Russian elements for the leak, but Moscow said that it could be a move by the US to "deceive" Russia. Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian news agencies that Moscow called for an enquiry to probe the documents and check whether the leak was an intentional leak. Ryabkov said, "Since the US is a party to the (Ukraine) conflict and is essentially waging a hybrid war against us, it is possible that such techniques are being used to deceive their opponent, the Russian Federation."

South Korea, an American ally, said that a "significant portion" of leaked documents indicating concerns in Seoul about arms supplies to Ukraine were fake. But despite that, Pentagon officials are still reviewing the documents for validity and the Justice Department has begun an investigation.

Considering the documents are authentic, here are some of the biggest and most damaging revelations from the leaks:

Details about Ukrainian air defences

One document provided information about Ukrainian air defences, which appear to be in deep crisis. The air defence systems have emerged as one of Ukraine's key strengths to counter Russian missile and drone strikes. Ukraine even urged the allies to supply fighter jets to help in its fight against Russian aggression.

Documents show that the munitions for Soviet-era air defence systems deployed by Ukraine will soon run out and a document dated February indicates that the S300 missile defence system is expected to run out of munitions by May this year and the SA-11 Gadfly system at the end of March.

Media outlets and analysts have said that the S300 missile defence system and SA-11 Gadfly system make up about 89 per cent of Ukraine's air defences.

The documents suggest that Ukraine could only resist a few more missile strikes by Russia. One document highlights how international efforts to build up Kyiv's military forces.

Did Mossad support domestic protests in Israel?

The US is accused of spying after the content of leaked documents was made public. One document reportedly revealed that the Mossad intelligence agency was encouraging protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to tighten controls on the supreme court. The controversial Israeli judicial reform plan would have given lawmakers substantially more control over the court.

Netanyahu's office on Sunday denied the allegations and labelled the document as "mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever".

What were South Korea's concerns?

The Pentagon leaks also suggest the US could have been spying on its key allies, including South Korea. Seoul downplayed the importance of the leaked documents as President Yoon Suk Yeol's office claimed that "a significant number" of the documents were fake and his national security adviser said there were no "malicious intentions" in the incident.

Meanwhile, South Korea's opposition urged the government to investigate the alleged spying on Yoon's national security advisers as part of an effort to secure arms supplies for Ukraine.

The Democratic Party in South Korea said: "We deeply regret that the United States’ top intelligence agency has been carrying out illegal espionage activities against our allies."

Lee Jae-myung, the head of the opposition Democratic party, said on Wednesday (April 12): "The government must get to the bottom of eavesdropping allegations and if they are found to be true, it must get an official apology and guarantee that it won't do it again from the US."

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Did Egypt want to supply Russia with rockets?

A report by The Post mentioned that one document said Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the production of 40,000 rockets for shipment to Russia. The documents also mentioned that the president apparently told officials to keep it secret to "avoid problems with the West." It could be an issue for the US as America has stood firmly with Ukraine and supplied massive military equipment and humanitarian aid.

But the White House national security spokesman John Kirby pushed back against the report. Kirby told reporters: "We've seen no indication that Egypt is providing lethal weaponry capabilities to Russia. Egypt is a significant security partner and remains so."

Did UAE agree to work with Russian spy agents?

Another document revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) planned to work with Russian spies in their operations against the US and UK intelligence agencies.

A review of the document byThe Associated Press suggested that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed that UAE security officials agreed to the plan. The allegation could be damaging as the UAE is a strategic partner for the US in the Middle East, but its close ties with Russia are also evident.

(With inputs from agencies)

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