Chris Lange, FISM News
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Ukraine’s military has been forced to alter at least some of its plans for an anticipated spring counteroffensive after a trove of highly sensitive U.S. intelligence documents was leaked and shared on social media, CNN reported, citing a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The classified documents, some of which have reportedly been circulating on the internet for as many as 40 days, include maps and other explicit details about Kyiv’s military plans.
The Pentagon and the Department of Justice are frantically working to identify the source of the leak while the Biden administration scrambles to mitigate potential fallout with U.S. allies. Included among the trove of documents was information that exposed U.S. efforts to spy on its allies as well as its enemies.
Reuters reported that U.S. national security agencies are also reviewing the manner in which they share sensitive information within the federal government.
Meanwhile, new satellite imagery appears to show that Russian forces have dug a 45-mile-long defensive trench in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to Newsweek. The region is widely believed to be a critical component of Ukraine’s anticipated spring offensive. The satellite images were published by the Ukrainian media outlet Center for Journalistic Investigations.
⚡Satellite imagery shows new 70-kilometer Russian trench in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Russia has dug a 70 kilometer long unbroken trench as part of their defensive lines in the occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to the Center for Journalistic Investigations. pic.twitter.com/uf3hSrvInS
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) April 8, 2023
Russia has occupied several communities in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast since the early days of the invasion and subsequently seized Enerhodar, the site of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant imperiled by ongoing fighting. Ukraine has so far managed to retain its hold on the capital city of Zaporizhzhia.
BLINKEN DESIGNATES IMPRISONED WSJ REPORTER GERSHKOVICH AS ‘WRONGFULLY DETAINED’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has officially designated Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” by Russia, according to a statement released by the State Department on Monday.
The declaration is a formality that transfers the case to the State Department’s Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.
“Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth,” State Dept. Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said. He called for the immediate release of Gershkovich, who was arrested on espionage charges last month, and U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, also designated as “wrongfully detained.” Whelan was arrested on espionage charges in 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian penal colony. The U.S. has said the charges against both men are patently false.
Patel told reporters Monday that Russia has refused to grant the Biden administration’s request for consular access to Gershkovich, Axios reported. The refusal represents a violation of a 1964 treaty between the U.S. and then-Soviet Union.
MORE THAN 200 TROOPS EXCHANGED IN LATEST PRISONER SWAP
More than 200 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have returned home in the latest prisoner swap between the two countries.
Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, said that Russia freed 100 Ukrainian prisoners, including some defenders of Mariupol city captured early in the war, Reuters reported.
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War alleged that nearly half of the 80 men and 20 women soldiers released by Russia “have serious injuries, illnesses or have been tortured.” Yermak confirmed the report without further elaboration, per The Associated Press.
The Kremlin’s Defense Ministry said 106 Russian soldiers were released from Ukrainian custody in the exchange. The Ministry said the troops were transported to Moscow for medical assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Separately, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russian forces struck a power plant and residential buildings in the eastern province.
Shelling was also reported in several villages bordering the Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy provinces.