UPDATE - US Fears Leak Of Classified Documents May Undermine Relations With Allies - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th April, 2023) The leak of Pentagon's classified documents, which showed that the US was spying not only on its rivals but also on allies, has deeply alarmed US officials, who fear the situation might endanger sources and undermine Washington's important international ties, CNN reported on Sunday.

Last week, The New York Times reported, citing officials familiar with the matter, that a new trove of classified documents had leaked online that included US military documents relating to Ukraine, China, and the middle East. Some of the materials indicated Washington had been eavesdropping on some friendly nations.

CNN reported that US officials admitted some of the leaked secret documents are authentic, including those that expose US spying on important allies, such as South Korea, Israel and Ukraine. The issue is seriously worrying for officials in Washington, as it can damage trust between the US and these countries, according to the report.

According to 53 leaked documents examined by CNN, the US has been spying on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

While this revelation did not surprise Ukrainian officials, the CIA's report on the active role of Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, in provoking the protests against the government judicial reform has sparked a serious backlash in the country. The Israeli prime minister's office called the memo "mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever."

Another leaked document describes in detail a conversation between two South Korean senior officials on how the government can send ammunition to Ukraine without contradicting a policy of not supplying lethal weapons to nations at war. According to The New York Times, officials in Seoul has already promised to raise the issue with the White House.

Additionally, CNN said the Pentagon has sources inside the Russian Defense Ministry and the Wagner Group, which gave it some sensitive information regarding location and tactics of the Russian forces in Ukraine. Now, US military officials fear this channel of information can be cut.