Recent intelligence leaks suggest Western special forces have been in the field assisting the Ukrainian army, despite previous reassurances to the contrary. According to the latest revelation from an anonymous cache of classified intelligence documents disseminated from gaming platforms, Britain, Latvia, France, America, and The Netherlands are all alleged to have up to 100 operatives in the field advising Ukrainian forces.
Britain, which is alleged to have deployed 50 military operatives, has branded the claims as inaccurate, though the British embassy in Kyiv confirmed last year that British forces were in fact involved in “joint training activity” with the Ukrainian army. Britain has taken a hard line against Russian aggression committing £2.3 billion annually in military aid to the Ukrainian cause.
France, which has consistently denied having any military presence in Ukraine, is also alleged to have 15 soldiers active there. There was disquiet this week over French overtures to China regarding the war in Ukraine, which runs counter to American-led NATO policy.
The extent of the West’s presence in Ukraine and the exact nature of their activities is unknown. Russia has alleged that Western powers wish to protract the war in Ukraine and claims that an estimated 10,000 Polish troops are involved in combat activities.
The leaks, many dated from last month, reveal details of an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive as the Wagner mercenary group and Russian forces claim victory in the city of Bakhmut. Russia has accused Ukraine and the West of engineering massacres to justify their further presence in Ukraine, a claim fiercely contested by Ukraine.
The unverified intelligence leaks have been thoroughly denied by the American intelligence community, though internal scepticism expressed over the Ukrainian capabilities to continue the war and the covert surveillance of allied leaders have undermined the U.S. position. The Pentagon confirmed its intent to find the origin of the leaks, which some have declared to be the worst intelligence failure in over a decade.
Only confirming what has been generally assumed, the impact of the leaks, regardless of their veracity, continues to be felt across the Western world. They have damaged the credibility of American intelligence services in the eyes of their European partners, while the details of the intel dump have increased the risk of escalation.
