Leaked Pentagon documents reveal US and UK deployed special forces in Ukraine

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Contradicting President Biden's promise not to deploy "boots on the ground" in Ukraine, leaked Pentagon documents indicate that the US, UK, France, Latvia and Netherlands may have deployed as many as 97 special forces personnel to the country, with the UK making up the bulk of the forces followed by the US.

As detailed by journalist Michael Tracey and The Guardian, respectively, both the United States and the United Kingdom deployed special forces units in Ukraine, where fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces remains ongoing.

“Should probably be emphasized that this is the first known instance of official documentary confirmation of US 'boots on the ground' in Ukraine. It's right there in black and white,” wrote Tracey.

Leaked document has a legend of US/NATO special forces in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Po0pRJ6gMx

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) April 7, 2023

Per The Guardian, the leaked documents suggest that between February and March this year, over half of the Western special forces present in Ukraine might have been British. However, the exact activities the special forces engaged in and whether the number of personnel remained at that level remain uncertain.

The UK's elite military forces, which include units such as the Special Air Service (SAS), typically operate under a veil of secrecy. The UK government has not disclosed that special forces have been active in Ukraine since the war began. However, before Russia's invasion, in June 2021, the UK embassy in Kiev acknowledged that special forces conducted training exercises with Ukrainian forces.

When asked about the recent disclosures or inquiries about UK personnel in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) declined to offer comment to the publication, citing a longstanding policy not to discuss special forces matters.

The leaked documents, which were confirmed by the Pentagon to have been leaked, are part of a collection of classified US military and intelligence files posted on Discord, a platform popular among gamers. The original source of the files is unknown at this time. The documents have sparked a series of media reports on US military and intelligence assessments, primarily concerning the war in Ukraine.

While some files shared online appear to have been doctored, US news outlets, including the New York Times, report that US officials acknowledge many documents are genuine and were initially shared online without alterations.

The Guardian reviewed a portion of the leaked documents, containing photographs of at least two "daily updates" related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. These updates were likely prepared for senior US defense officials and were marked "secret." They include updates on military operations, logistics, weapons deliveries, and training of Ukrainian forces by the US and NATO allies.

One section, titled "US/NATO SOF in UKR," seemingly lists the number of Western special forces present in Ukraine, dating to February and March 2023. According to the documents, US officials estimated at the time that out of the 97 special forces from NATO countries active in Ukraine, 50 were British—significantly more than the 14 and 15 special forces deployed by the US and France, respectively.

The files offer a partial glimpse into US military assessments of the war and allied support for Ukraine, but they do not provide details on the purpose of the UK or other special forces deployments. The documents suggest that special forces could be part of a NATO special forces command coordinated by the military alliance's special operations headquarters, but the exact organization of these forces is not specified.