Some 50 UK special forces troops stationed in Ukraine — alleged US intel document
UK Defense Ministry warns readers to be wary of paper, among dozens of apparent classified files leaked online last week relating to Russia’s invasion
Around 50 British special forces troops have been deployed in Ukraine, according to unverified US military documents posted online as part of the apparent leak in recent days of numerous highly sensitive US documents from the Pentagon.
The classified documents were among a trove that were posted on sites such as Twitter last week. They are labeled secret and resemble routine updates that the US military’s Joint Staff would produce daily but not distribute publicly. The documents may have been altered or used as part of a misinformation campaign.
The UK Defense Ministry has labeled the documents on special forces as inaccurate.
Media outlets that reviewed the file, dated March 1, said it claimed the UK maintains a significant special forces presence in the country, alongside the United States, which has 14 troops, France with 15, Latvia with 17, and the Netherlands with one.
The document didn’t elaborate on the troops’ mission or location.
The UK Defense Ministry has refused to comment on the presence of British forces in Ukraine, but said the leaked information “demonstrated a serious level of inaccuracy.”
“Readers should be cautious about taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation,” he said.
Before Russia’s invasion, the UK said that its special forces trained with its Ukrainian counterparts in June 2021.
Many, but not all, of the documents pertain to the Ukraine war. The documents — which have not been individually authenticated by US officials — range from briefing slides mapping out Ukrainian military positions to assessments of international support for Ukraine and other sensitive topics, including under what circumstances Russian President Vladimir Putin might use nuclear weapons.
There’s no clear answer on how many documents were leaked. The Associated Press has viewed approximately 50 documents; some estimates put the total number in the hundreds.
Dozens of photographs of documents have been found on Twitter, Telegram, Discord and other sites in recent days, though some may have circulated online for weeks, if not months, before they began to receive media attention.
Many of the documents are no longer available on the sites where they first appeared, and the United States is reportedly working to have them removed.
Among the documents was a briefing suggesting senior Israeli Mossad officials encouraged spy agency members and citizens to protest the government’s judicial overhaul plans. The claims were denied by the spy agency, the Prime Minister’s Office and questioned by several experts.
