The Pentagon's disappearing data: A leaked report reveals how US secrets went online and offline

A large batch of classified US military documents related to the conflict in Ukraine was leaked online in early April, causing a stir among experts and journalists. The documents revealed sensitive information about the US intelligence assessments, military operations, and casualties on both sides of the war. But who was behind the leak and how did it spread across the internet?

The origin of the leak

The suspected leaker of the documents, Jack Teixeira, a former US Army intelligence analyst, has been charged in a Boston court and detained pending trial. According to the FBI, he first posted classified information online as paragraphs of text “in or about December 2022”. He then posted photographs of documents “in or around January 2023”.

The documents were initially posted on a small private chat group called “Bear vs Pig” on the Discord social media platform. This was a sub-group of another known as “Thug Shaker Central”, accessible by invitation-only and had around two dozen members. The group members were mostly fans of a YouTuber who posts videos about guns and military gear. They also included people from Ukraine, Russia, South America and elsewhere.

The public exposure of the leak

For a few months, the classified documents remained private to this group. However, in early March, some of the documents were posted on a public channel on Discord called “wow_mao” by a user named “Lucca”, who was also a member of Thug Shaker Central. Shortly afterwards, in another public Discord channel, during a brief argument about Minecraft and the war in Ukraine, a user said “here, have some leaked documents” and posted screenshots.

Following this public sharing of the documents, Teixeira quickly deleted Thug Shaker Central, including its sub-group, Bear vs Pig. But it was too late to stop the spread of the leak.

On 5 April, screenshots of the documents appeared on the message board 4chan, one of the biggest and most controversial hubs of internet subculture. They were shared on one of 4chan’s most notorious boards known as /pol/ – standing for politically incorrect – by anonymous users during an argument about the number of Ukrainian and Russian casualties in the conflict.

Just a few hours later, these documents began appearing on pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and were also picked up by prominent military bloggers. One image – widely circulated by Russian channels – was edited to reduce the number of Russian troops killed and inflate the Ukrainian losses.

The impact and implications of the leak

The leak has raised serious questions about the security of US classified information and the leaker’s motives. Some experts have suggested that Teixeira may have been influenced by Russian propaganda or had personal grievances against the US government. Others have argued that he may have acted out of genuine concern for the humanitarian situation in Ukraine or wanted to expose US involvement in the war.

The leak has also revealed some important details about the conflict in Ukraine that were previously unknown or unconfirmed. For example, one document showed that the US estimated about 100,000 Russian troops near the border with Ukraine as of March 2023, much higher than previous public estimates. Another document showed that the US had provided lethal aid to Ukraine, including anti-tank missiles and drones.

The leak has also sparked debates about the ethics and legality of leaking classified information and the role of whistleblowers in democracy. Some have praised Teixeira as a hero who exposed US wrongdoing and helped inform the public. Others have condemned him as a traitor who endangered national security and violated his oath.

As Teixeira awaits his trial, which could result in a long prison sentence if convicted, his leak remains one of the most significant and controversial cases of unauthorized disclosure of US military secrets in recent history.