Dozens of US Pentagon documents have leaked, containing highly classified intelligence relating to US allies and the war in Ukraine.
The Pentagon confirmed that the military documents, which were circulated online, “appear to contain sensitive and highly classified material”.
However, the defence department has questioned the authenticity of the circulated documents.
Al Jazeera’s Inside Story speaks to experts on how severe the leak is for the US and its allies.
Russia imposed sanctions 333 Canadian officials
Russia imposed sanctions on 333 Canadian officials and public figures, including prominent Olympians, in what it said was a response to Canadian restrictions on Moscow.
Published by Russia’s foreign ministry, the list includes Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon, more than 250 members of regional legislative assemblies, and dozens of Canadian athletes who have publicly supported a ban on Russian athletes competing at the 2024 Olympics.
“This measure is designed to encourage those on the black list to change their behaviour,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Canadian Olympians targeted by Russia include ice dancer Tessa Virtue, a five-time Olympic medallist, and hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser, a six-time Olympian.
Russia has routinely placed sanctions on Western officials and high-profile individuals since the West targeted hundreds of Russian individuals over the invasion of Ukraine.
EU, UN condemn footage of beheading
The EU pledges to hold war criminals to account as it denounced footage spread online allegedly showing the beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner of war.
“We don’t have more information on the veracity of the video. Having said that, if confirmed, this is yet another brutal reminder about the inhumane nature of the Russian aggression,” EU spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said.
“The EU reiterates its firm commitment to holding to account all perpetrators and accomplices of war crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war,” she added.
Th UN mission in Ukraine also said it was “appalled” by the “gruesome” video.
“The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine is appalled by particularly gruesome videos posted on social media,” it said in a statement.
“One of the videos shows a brutal execution of a man who appears to be a Ukrainian prisoner of war, while the other one shows mutilated bodies of apparent Ukrainian POWs.”
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
