Leaked Pentagon Documents Could Help Putin, 'Provide Him Insights' On War Strategy: Ex-US General

Analysts say Ukraine's counteroffensive could bring the battle from the east to the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions — AFP

KEY POINTS

Ex-general Richard Newton said the leaked documents are unlikely to impact day-to-day aspects of the war
The documents suggested that U.S. officials believe Ukraine's air defense could be 'completely reduced' in May
The U.S. also predicted that the war in Ukraine could reach a stalemate this year

The leaked Pentagon documents could give Russian President Vladimir Putin an insight into the situation in Ukraine and help his army come up with a strategy for the war, a former U.S. general said.

Speaking on NewsNation's "Elizabeth Vargas Reports," retired general Richard Newton said the leaks, which he called "the most damaging" in decades, could also give Russian generals information to help them form a war strategy in Ukraine. However, he noted that the information in the documents would unlikely have a significant impact.

"I don't believe it will have a significant impact on the battlefield from a day-to-day aspect, but it does provide him insights that he didn't have previously," he said. "It does give his generals an opportunity to perhaps take a look at their strategy or their lack of strategy so far in the last 14 months."

The secret documents first leaked on Discord last week and later made rounds on Telegram and Twitter. The classified materials leaked on the internet included an analysis of the Ukraine war by the United States. One of the documents warned that Ukraine's medium-range air defense to protect its troops on the frontline could be "completely reduced by May 23," suggesting that Kyiv may not be able to launch ground offensives.

Another prediction for the war includes a stalemate between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow failing to capture the entirety of the Donbas region this year, per CNN.

Little is known about who may have leaked the classified materials or how they ended up on social media. The FBI and the Department of Justice are currently working to identify the source of the leak. U.S. officials have not ruled out the possibility that pro-Russian elements played a role in the leak.

However, The New York Times, which first reported the leak, noted that some of the classified documents were marked "for U.S. eyes only." This could point to an American official being the culprit for the leaks.

Pentagon officials have since acknowledged that the leaks contained official Department of Defense documents. But they claimed that some of the documents appeared to have been altered.