MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2023) The recent leak of highly classified US Department of Defense documents may cost Ukraine "bad outcomes" on the battlefield, Jim Himes, member of the US House Intelligence Committee, has said.
"Anything that points to sources and methods carries the very real risk that those sources and methods go away," Himes was quoted as saying by CNN, adding that "that can mean people being killed, that can mean technologies being shut down. And that translates into bad outcomes on the battlefield."
Himes said that he had not been briefed on the documents and could not confirm their authenticity, CNN reported, adding that other US officials, however, had told the broadcaster that the documents were authentic.
The so-called Five Eyes intelligence partnership, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, "might think twice about sharing their most sensitive intelligence" because of the leak, the congressman added.
The Pentagon will also take measures to strengthen control over highly classified documents, the report said.
Top secret Pentagon files leaked online in recent weeks provide sensitive details on a range of security topics, including on Ukraine, China, and the middle East. The materials allegedly expose weaknesses in Ukrainian air defenses and other details that conflict with earlier US military assessments.
The leaked package has also revealed that the US was conducting espionage not only on its opponents but also allies, such as South Korea, which sparked deep concern among US officials, who think that the situation might endanger the US's sources and undermine important international ties.
