Classified British military documents found at Kent bus stop; govt launches urgent probe

A top-secret Ministry of Defence dossier containing 50 pages of classified information was found by a member of the public at a bus stop in Kent, UK. According to BBC, the classified documents contain details about HMS Defender and the British military. It also discusses the likely Russian reaction to the ship’s passage through Ukrainian waters off the Crimea coast on Wednesday. The dossier, which includes emails and PowerPoint presentations, originated from the office of a senior UK official at the MoD and were passed to BBC by a member of the public after they made the discovery early on Tuesday. 

UK govt launches urgent probe

The documents were reportedly found in a soggy heap behind a bus stop in Kent. As per reports, one document shows that the Royal Navy's Type-45 destroyer was ordered to sail close to disputed territorial waters off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea in eastern Europe to make a show of support for Ukraine in the expectation that Moscow could respond with force. Another also details plans for a possible UK military presence in Afghanistan after the US-led NATO operation there ends. 

Following the discovery of the documents, the government said that it has launched an urgent probe into the matter, with an MoD spokesperson telling MailOnline that an employee had reported the loss of sensitive defence papers. The ministry also insisted that HMS Defender conducted “innocent passage” through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law. It said that the officials analysed all the potential factors affecting operational decisions. 

Crimea mission

Meanwhile, according to the documents, BBC reported that the Crimea mission, dubbed 'Op Ditroite', was the subject of high-level discussions as late as Monday, with officials speculating about Moscow's reaction if HMS Defender sailed close to the peninsula. An official at Permanent Joint Headquarters, the UK's tri-service headquarters at Northwood, reportedly asked: 'What do we understand about the possible 'welcome party'…?'. The document also stated that the recent interactions in the eastern Mediterranean between Russian forces and a Carrier Strike Group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth had been unremarkable and "in line with expectations”. 

However, officials knew this was about to change and expected Russian naval and airforce interactions would become “more frequent and assertive”. As per the report, a series of slides prepared at PJHQ showed two routeing options as well. Three potential Russian responses were also outlined, from "safe and professional" to "neither safe nor professional". 

Moreover, the 50-page dossier also included updates on arms exports campaigns, including sensitive observations about areas where Britain might find itself competing with European allies. There were also briefing notes for last Monday's session of the UK-US Defence Dialogue, including observations on President Joe Biden's first months in office. The documents said that the Biden administration's early focus on China and the Indo-Pacific show "there is still much continuity from the previous administration”. 

British assistance in Afghanistan 

According to BBC, most of the papers were marked “official sensitive,” a relatively low level of classification used. But one document addressed to Ben Wallace’s private secretary - marked "Secret UK Eyes Only" - outlined highly sensitive recommendations for the UK's military footprint in Afghanistan, following the end of Operation Resolute Support. The document reportedly discussed an American request for British assistance in several specific areas. It also addressed the question of whether any British special forces will remain in Afghanistan once the withdrawal is complete. 

It is worth noting that media reports have already suggested that Britain is considering leaving some forces behind. But the document stated that UK government believes that Afghanistan is already becoming more dangerous and the reduced presence of NATO forces "is already impairing the situational awareness that we (and the US) used to enjoy across the country". No Britons have been killed in Afghanistan since the US-Taliban deal in February 2020, it says, but "this would be unlikely to remain the status quo".

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