Live blog: Leaked US documents cast doubt on Ukraine's military capacity

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

The United States has serious concerns about Ukraine's ability to make significant gains in an upcoming counteroffensive, as well as Kiev's capacity to keep defending against Russian strikes, according to a report and documents reviewed by the AFP news agency.

The documents are part of a trove of highly sensitive material that has been posted online, sparking a US criminal investigation into a breach the Pentagon says poses a "very serious" risk to national security.

Ukraine is expected to launch an attack on invading Russian troops in the spring — its first major military push of t he year.

But one top secret document said tough Russian defences and "enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive," the Washington Post reported.

A document reviewed by AFP — this one marked "secret" — details the dire state of Ukrainian air defences, which have been instrumental in protecting against Russian strikes and preventing Moscow's forces from gaining control of the skies.

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States will continue to investigate the recent purported leak of classified documents until the source of them was found.

"We will continue to investigate and turn over every rock until we find the source of this and the extent of it," Austin said during a press conference at the State Department after a series of meetings with the Secretary of State. 

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2000 GMT — Trudeau shrugs off pro-Russian hack on Canada as Ukraine PM visits

Pro-Russian hackers disrupted Canadian government websites during a visit by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, but this will not weaken Ottawa's strong bond with Kyiv, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The official websites of the Canadian leader and the Senate, as well as others, were down in the morning.

Trudeau confirmed they'd been hacked, while a group calling itself NoName took responsibility in a post on Telegram.

"It's not uncommon for Russian hackers to target countries as they are showing their steadfast support for Ukraine, as they're welcoming Ukrainian delegations or leadership to visit.

So the timing isn't surprising," Trudeau told a joint news conference with Shmyhal.

"But in case anyone was wondering, Russia being able to bring down an official government of Canada webpage for a few hours is in no way going to dissuade us from our unshakeable support of Ukraine," he said.

1800 GMT – Russians hacked cameras in Ukraine coffee shops for intel: US official

Russians hackers have logged into private security cameras in Ukraine coffee shops to collect intelligence on aid convoys passing by, a top US security official said.

Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, said Russian government and government-backed hackers persist in attacking Ukrainian information technology systems as part of their invasion of the country.

One focus is closed circuit TV cameras used by local authorities and private businesses to monitor their surroundings, he said.

"There are continued attacks on Ukrainian interests, whether it's financial, government, personal, individual business, just trying to be disruptive," Joyce said at the Center for International and Strategic Studies in Washington.

1800 GMT – Russia hits eastern Ukraine with air strikes, artillery attacks

Russian forces have pounded frontline cities in eastern Ukraine with air strikes and artillery attacks.

The Russians pressed on with their offensive in the eastern Donetsk region where several cities and towns came under heavy bombardment, Ukraine's general staff said.

Ukrainian forces repelled several attacks, it said, as the Russian military kept up its effort to take control of Bakhmut.

A top Ukrainian commander accused Moscow of using "scorched earth" tactics.

"The enemy switched to so-called scorched earth tactics from Syria. It is destroying buildings and positions with air strikes and artillery fire," Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, said of Bakhmut.

The battle for the small and now largely ruined city on the edge of a chunk of Russian-controlled territory in Donetsk has been the bloodiest of the 13-month war as Moscow tries to inject momentum into its campaign after recent setbacks.

Both sides have suffered heavy casualties in the Bakhmut fighting, but Syrskyi said: "The situation is difficult but controllable."

1739 GMT – Canada pledges fresh Ukraine military aid, sanctions on Russia

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada imposed new sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine and pledged new military support for Kiev.

Ottawa will send 21,000 assault rifles, 38 machine guns and 2.4 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine and impose sanctions on 14 Russian individuals and 34 entities, including security targets linked to Wagner Group, Trudeau said after meeting Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Toronto.

“We will continue to support Ukraine with everything needed for as long as necessary,” he said.

Canada is also imposing sanctions on nine entities tied to the Belarusian financial sector to further pressure Russia’s “enablers in Belarus”, Trudeau said.

1612 GMT – Hungary agrees to new energy deals with Russia

Hungary signed new agreements Tuesday to ensure its continued access to Russian energy, a sign of the country’s continuing diplomatic and trade ties with Moscow that have confounded some European leaders amid the war in Ukraine.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Russian state energy company Gazprom had agreed to allow Hungary, if needed, to import quantities of natural gas beyond the amounts agreed to in a long-term contract that was amended last year.

The price of the gas, which would reach Hungary through the Turkstream pipeline, would be capped at 150 euros ($163) per cubic metre, Szijjarto said, part of an agreement that will allow Hungary to pay down gas purchases on a deferred basis if market prices go above that level.

Szijjarto’s trip to Russia’s capital was unusual for an official from a European Union country. Most members of the 27-nation bloc have distanced themselves from Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine and sought to wean their countries off of Russian fossil fuels.

1340 GMT – Civilian deaths in Ukraine approaches 8,500: UN

Almost 8,500 civilians are confirmed to have been killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a UN body has said, with many thousands more unverified deaths feared.

The Office of the UN high commissioner for human rights (OHCHR) said it had recorded 8,490 people killed and 14,244 injured between the launch of the war of 24 February 2022 and 9 April 2023.

The body has long described its figures as “the tip of the iceberg” because of its limited access to battle zones.

The majority of the deaths were recorded in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government and under attack by Russian forces, including 3,927 people in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where there has been intense fighting.

1155 GMT – Russia accuses Ukraine of recruiting youth for ‘sabotage’

The head of Russia’s FSB security service, Alexander Bortnikov, accused Ukraine and the West of recruiting young Russians to stage armed attacks.

“In the conditions of Russia conducting the special military operation, Ukrainian special forces and their Western curators have launched an aggressive ideological indoctrination and recruitment of our citizens,” Bortnikov told a meeting in Moscow of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee.

“Especially the younger generation, to involve them in sabotage, terrorist and extremist activities,” he added, according to a statement from the committee.

1122 GMT – Decision on fighter jets to Ukraine likely 'before summer': Denmark

Denmark's defence minister said he expected the Danes and allies to decide on whether to donate Western fighter jets to Ukraine "before the summer", as deliveries of Polish and Slovak MiG-29s have begun.

Discussions are taking time because countries have to act together, acting defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said during a visit to Ukraine.

"Denmark will not do it alone," Lund Poulsen told several Danish media outlets, adding that a decision was still achievable "in the near future."

"We need to do this together with several countries. We will also have a dialogue with the Americans about this," the minister said.

Slovakia and Poland began deliveries of Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in late March and early April.

Warsaw has said it is ready to give away all of its MiG-29s – around 30.

But despite requests from Kiev, no modern fighter jets such as the US-designed F-16 have been pledged, and Washington has so far said it would not send fighter jets.

1108 GMT – Russia-Ukraine war ended post-Cold War era: Japan

Japan has said that Russia’s war on Ukraine has terminated the post-Cold War era.

“Russia's invasion of Ukraine has become a ‘symbol’ of the end of the post-Cold War era, forcing the international community to face a ‘historical inflection point’,” Japan's Foreign Ministry said in its annual Diplomatic Bluebook.

Russia launched a war on Ukraine last year in February which has resulted in death and injuries to tens of hundreds of people while millions have been displaced from Ukraine.

Tokyo has condemned Moscow and joined the US-led western nations to sanction Russia, its businesses, and politicians, including President Vladimir Putin.

For our live updates from Monday (April 10), click here.