Classified U.S. Spy Documents Reportedly Leaked on Social Media

NBC News obtained more than 50 of the leaked documents, many of which fell under the highest level of classification: "Top Secret"

The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation after a trove of allegedly top-secret military documents detailing how America spies on other nations appear to have been leaked on social media.

Speaking to CNN, one U.S. official said the documents — which began circulating online in recent weeks, and on social media outlets including Twitter and Telegram last Friday — "look real."

The New York Times cites analysts that say more than 100 documents may have been among those shared via photographs online. According to the Times, the papers appear to include "highly classified material on Ukraine war plans," as well as "sensitive briefing slides on China, the Indo-Pacific military theater, the Middle East and terrorism."

NBC News obtained more than 50 of the leaked documents, many of which the outlet reports fell under the highest level of classification: "Top Secret." NBC further reports that the papers "include repeated references to information based on secret signals intelligence" — information that, if obtained by U.S. adversaries, could hinder intelligence-gathering.

Related:France Seizes Russian Oligarch Igor Sechin's $120M Yacht amid Sanctions over War in Ukraine

In a statement released over the weekend, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh announced that the Department of Defense was reviewing the documents to assess their validity, adding that they "appear to contain sensitive and highly classified material."

"An interagency effort has been stood up, focused on assessing the impact these photographed documents could have on U.S. national security and on our Allies and partners," Singh continued. "Over the weekend, U.S. officials have engaged with Allies and partners and have informed relevant congressional committees of jurisdiction about the disclosure. The Department of Defense's highest priority is the defense of our nation and our national security. We have referred this matter to the Department of Justice, which has opened a criminal investigation."

While the motive behind a leak is not yet clear, some experts have speculated that a deliberate release of classified documents could have been done to damage U.S. and NATO efforts in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Related:Russia Has Suffered More than 75,000 Casualties in Ukraine War So Far, U.S. Reportedly Estimates

Russia's invasion of Ukraine began more than one year ago.

While the war rages on, there have been several signs that global sanctions have severely restricted Russia's supply chains and forced Putin to turn to less-than-ideal trading partners — like North Korea — for military supplies.

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While Russia has suffered apparent shortcomings on the battlefield, Putin has ramped up nuclear threats and called for a partial mobilization of Russian citizens amid the ongoing invasion, saying in a September speech: "When the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people. It's not a bluff," per a Reuters report.

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