Ukraine 'withholding' counteroffensive information from allies as war with Russia rages on

Ukraine is withholding the counteroffensive details with its allies in order to avoid getting any intelligence leaked related to the upcoming spring counteroffensive expected to begin around May 15. Any information given to the partners might risk getting compromised, and the Ukrainian soldiers may suffer disadvantages on the battlefield, at least two European officials who have been in touch with the military officials in Kyiv, told Politico.

Kyiv is only focused on providing basic intelligence to the US and other European countries who have been supplying arms to its forces ahead of the spring assaults, but it is yet not inclined on divulging any information on the ground battle planning. 

“There are only a few people in the country that know the plan,” a lawmaker in Europe was quoted as saying. 

'They don’t have an obligation': Kirby 

The decision came in view of the recent leak of the trove of classified material on the gaming platform Discord by the Massachusetts-based Air Guardsman Jack Teixeira. The information that Ukraine has been withholding from the allies includes critical information linked to the counteroffensive such as the timing of the attack, and the figures of the troops who will be involved in the operation. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was reported claiming that the United States told him nothing about the leak of the top-secret documents and that he learnt about the disclosure from the news "like everyone else."

Ukrainian soldiers prepare their ammunition at the frontline positions near Vuhledar, Donetsk region. Credit: AP

The papers were marked “top secret” and came from the Defense Intelligence Agency, detailing that the United States and NATO had plans to build up Ukraine's military even before the conflict started with neighbouring Russia. It also depicted the loopholes in Ukraine's military weaponry, military shortfalls, setbacks in air defense systems, and underscored American estimates of the war casualties figures even before a confrontation began. The documents, however, did not underline any battle-specific details such as the regions where Ukraine planned to launch the offensive but did claim prospects of a stalemate given the lingering issues with Russia's own military and lack of weapons. 

“They don’t have an obligation to notify us or tell us in advance,” US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told  NatSec Daily, adding “oftentimes we certainly do have a sense because we’re in daily communication with them.”