KID AIN'T NO ASSANGE, MANNING OR SNOWDEN
2023/04/15
2023/04/15
A photo illustration created on April 13, 2023, shows the suspect, National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, reflected in an image of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C..
- Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS
So maybe Jack Teixeira, a lowly 21-year-old enlisted man in the Massachusetts Air National Guard still living at his mom’s house, thought it was wicked cool to share some info he had seen at work at a Cape Cod Air Force base with his online pals, most of whom are kids living in their own moms’ houses.
That’s fine for this pathetic character to build himself up to impress some teen losers in their “Thug Shaker Central” chat group on Discord, but that he used stolen highly classified national defense documents ain’t cool and we trust that young Airman Teixeira will soon enough be serving in a different uniform at a different kind of federal facility.
The guys bonded online over their shared love of guns and stuff like that and Teixeira allegedly committed serious federal felonies, not for money like a traitor selling out his country or because his politics were opposed to Washington’s actions or even to be a whistleblower exposing what he thought was wrong, but to show off to his internet pals.
And for that, the national security of the United States and our allies, like the brave Ukrainians trying to hold off the invading Russians, have been put at risk. How stupid is this?
Teixeira and his lawyers will become very familiar with 18 U.S.C. 793, also known as the Espionage Act. The unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information is a serious offense that can bring 10 years in prison for each document leaked, no matter the motivation, be it money from the Kremlin or an online bragging session.
Now that the damaging leaker has been found, the Pentagon must examine how it vets the people who are given access to such sensitive secrets. The feds only realized that something was amiss when one of the “Thug Shaker Central” guys, be it Teixeira or another sad case, let the secrets spill beyond their little group. Are there other such secret thieves out there who are being more careful in covering their tracks?
___
© New York Daily News
So maybe Jack Teixeira, a lowly 21-year-old enlisted man in the Massachusetts Air National Guard still living at his mom’s house, thought it was wicked cool to share some info he had seen at work at a Cape Cod Air Force base with his online pals, most of whom are kids living in their own moms’ houses.
That’s fine for this pathetic character to build himself up to impress some teen losers in their “Thug Shaker Central” chat group on Discord, but that he used stolen highly classified national defense documents ain’t cool and we trust that young Airman Teixeira will soon enough be serving in a different uniform at a different kind of federal facility.
The guys bonded online over their shared love of guns and stuff like that and Teixeira allegedly committed serious federal felonies, not for money like a traitor selling out his country or because his politics were opposed to Washington’s actions or even to be a whistleblower exposing what he thought was wrong, but to show off to his internet pals.
And for that, the national security of the United States and our allies, like the brave Ukrainians trying to hold off the invading Russians, have been put at risk. How stupid is this?
Teixeira and his lawyers will become very familiar with 18 U.S.C. 793, also known as the Espionage Act. The unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information is a serious offense that can bring 10 years in prison for each document leaked, no matter the motivation, be it money from the Kremlin or an online bragging session.
Now that the damaging leaker has been found, the Pentagon must examine how it vets the people who are given access to such sensitive secrets. The feds only realized that something was amiss when one of the “Thug Shaker Central” guys, be it Teixeira or another sad case, let the secrets spill beyond their little group. Are there other such secret thieves out there who are being more careful in covering their tracks?
___
© New York Daily News
US intelligence leak: What we know so far
Thomas Latschan
Russia/Ukraine: The papers comprise details about the course of the war in eastern Ukraine that are particularly explosive. They include maps of the Bakhmut and Kharkiv regions, as well as a delivery timetable for Western munitions to Ukraine. According to these documents, Ukraine's armed forces seem to be considerably weaker than has so far been claimed, and Washington appears to be worried that Ukraine would be unable to repel a renewed Russian offensive. There is talk of gaps in Ukrainian air defenses, and a shortage of ammunition is anticipated as early as May. However, the documents also claim that the US has infiltrated the Russian military and the paramilitary Wagner Group at the highest level, in order to inform Kyiv as early as possible about any Russian plans of attack.
The leaked papers also outline how far the war in Ukraine would have to escalate in order for China to be prepared to supply Moscow with weapons. Allegedly, it would do so as soon as Ukraine carried out an attack on Russian soil. Another document reports that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi supposedly held discussions with top-level military officials in February about supplying Russia with artillery shells and ammunition — in strictest secrecy, in order to "avoid problems with the West."
The Wagner Group is also said to have asked sources in Turkey to supply weapons and equipment for its activities in Ukraine and Mali, though it is unclear to what extent the Turkish government would have been aware of this. A request from the US apparently resulted in a major dispute in South Korea about supplying artillery munitions to Ukraine. Until now, Seoul has not provided Kyiv with any military support.
Thomas Latschan
DW
April 14, 2023
More than 50 Pentagon documents, some classified as secret, have recently surfaced online. They deal with various geopolitically significant developments — and have put the US government in an uncomfortable position.
A summary of what we know so far.
How did the documents find their way online?
Some of the papers were initially circulated in early March on Discord, a social platform that is popular mostly among gamers. One server on which the data first appeared was actually focused on the popular computer game Minecraft, while another was dedicated to a Filipino YouTube star. They have since been shut down. The investigative website Bellingcat contacted members of the Discord community, who said that many more documents had been published on other Discord servers in recent months. These claims could not be verified, however, as they have also since been shut down.
Several dozen documents are now in the public domain after finding their way from Discord onto 4chan, a platform where photos can be shared anonymously, and without prior registration. From there, they were shared on Twitter and on Telegram channels — especially pro-Russian ones. It wasn't until about a month after their initial publication on Discord that media outlets all over the world became aware of the leaked documents.
What is in the documents?
The papers originated with the US Department of Defense, and they also include reports from various secret services such as the CIA or the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the central agency for cartographical analysis and reconnaissance. They provide an insight not only into how the United States gathers its intelligence, but also into its views about various global geostrategic developments.
April 14, 2023
More than 50 Pentagon documents, some classified as secret, have recently surfaced online. They deal with various geopolitically significant developments — and have put the US government in an uncomfortable position.
A summary of what we know so far.
How did the documents find their way online?
Some of the papers were initially circulated in early March on Discord, a social platform that is popular mostly among gamers. One server on which the data first appeared was actually focused on the popular computer game Minecraft, while another was dedicated to a Filipino YouTube star. They have since been shut down. The investigative website Bellingcat contacted members of the Discord community, who said that many more documents had been published on other Discord servers in recent months. These claims could not be verified, however, as they have also since been shut down.
Several dozen documents are now in the public domain after finding their way from Discord onto 4chan, a platform where photos can be shared anonymously, and without prior registration. From there, they were shared on Twitter and on Telegram channels — especially pro-Russian ones. It wasn't until about a month after their initial publication on Discord that media outlets all over the world became aware of the leaked documents.
What is in the documents?
The papers originated with the US Department of Defense, and they also include reports from various secret services such as the CIA or the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the central agency for cartographical analysis and reconnaissance. They provide an insight not only into how the United States gathers its intelligence, but also into its views about various global geostrategic developments.
Russia/Ukraine: The papers comprise details about the course of the war in eastern Ukraine that are particularly explosive. They include maps of the Bakhmut and Kharkiv regions, as well as a delivery timetable for Western munitions to Ukraine. According to these documents, Ukraine's armed forces seem to be considerably weaker than has so far been claimed, and Washington appears to be worried that Ukraine would be unable to repel a renewed Russian offensive. There is talk of gaps in Ukrainian air defenses, and a shortage of ammunition is anticipated as early as May. However, the documents also claim that the US has infiltrated the Russian military and the paramilitary Wagner Group at the highest level, in order to inform Kyiv as early as possible about any Russian plans of attack.
The leaked papers also outline how far the war in Ukraine would have to escalate in order for China to be prepared to supply Moscow with weapons. Allegedly, it would do so as soon as Ukraine carried out an attack on Russian soil. Another document reports that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi supposedly held discussions with top-level military officials in February about supplying Russia with artillery shells and ammunition — in strictest secrecy, in order to "avoid problems with the West."
The Wagner Group is also said to have asked sources in Turkey to supply weapons and equipment for its activities in Ukraine and Mali, though it is unclear to what extent the Turkish government would have been aware of this. A request from the US apparently resulted in a major dispute in South Korea about supplying artillery munitions to Ukraine. Until now, Seoul has not provided Kyiv with any military support.
Ukraine is believed to have had to change its war plans as a result of the US intelligence leaks
EVAN VUCCI/AFP
Iran: According to the leaked information, US secret services are monitoring both the Iranian nuclear program and the Iranian security apparatus with information coming from the very high-level sources. One document, for example, describes in detail the preparations made by senior leaders in Tehran for a visit by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi.
Israel: Leading Mossad representatives are said to have argued in February in favor of encouraging protests against the pending judicial reform and actively calling for condemnation of the new far-right government in Jerusalem. The Israeli government has denied this, pointing out that its intelligence service is traditionally politically neutral.
Haiti: The published documents also focus on smaller countries of less significance on the world political stage. For example, one report says that members of the Russian Wagner Group secretly traveled to Haiti in February to negotiate with the government about possibly supporting it in its fight against rampant gang crime.
There are also reports on the political situation in countries such as Canada, Britain and Hungary.
Iran: According to the leaked information, US secret services are monitoring both the Iranian nuclear program and the Iranian security apparatus with information coming from the very high-level sources. One document, for example, describes in detail the preparations made by senior leaders in Tehran for a visit by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi.
Israel: Leading Mossad representatives are said to have argued in February in favor of encouraging protests against the pending judicial reform and actively calling for condemnation of the new far-right government in Jerusalem. The Israeli government has denied this, pointing out that its intelligence service is traditionally politically neutral.
Haiti: The published documents also focus on smaller countries of less significance on the world political stage. For example, one report says that members of the Russian Wagner Group secretly traveled to Haiti in February to negotiate with the government about possibly supporting it in its fight against rampant gang crime.
There are also reports on the political situation in countries such as Canada, Britain and Hungary.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied that members of Mossad opposed his judicial reform
Is the information genuine?
The leaked papers contain explosive information that goes up to the end of February 2023. Even the Pentagon is working on the assumption that the documents are essentially genuine. However, the Bellingcat investigative network has succeeded in proving that at least some of the information was retrospectively altered — particularly after it appeared on pro-Russian Telegram channels. These falsifications were clearly aimed at exaggerating Russia's military strength and portraying Ukraine's as less powerful than in the original documents. They appear to have been made by Russian Telegram users: It seems unlikely that a Russian secret service was behind them.
Who is behind the data leak?
Since the leaked documents reached the public, one person has been taken into FBI custody. US Attorney General Merrick Garland named a 21-year-old Air National Guard employee in the US state of Massachusetts as the suspect arrested in connection with the leak. The suspect is alleged to have posted the first photos of the classified documents to a Discord server. The photos followed text passages he posted from the documents, according to reporting by the Washington Post citing the suspect's relatives.
The man reportedly said he gained access to the documents at a US military base. The suspect was assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, an Air Force spokesperson said.
Thomas Rid, a German cyber-security expert in the US who has viewed most of the images himself, believes it was an unintentional slip. In an interview with Deutschlandfunk, he described them as photographs of printed documents, almost all of which had been "folded in four." He said that other objects such as a knife, a broken iPhone and a handbook for a telescope were also visible around the documents photographed. Rid thinks it is possible the documents were posted online without the poster thinking about the consequences.
There is a chance that the items seen in the photos and the apparent carelessness with which they were posted led to the suspect being taken into custody so quickly. It remains unclear exactly how he came into possession of the classified documents. How the publication of said documents went unnoticed for weeks also remains unclear.
The leaked papers contain explosive information that goes up to the end of February 2023. Even the Pentagon is working on the assumption that the documents are essentially genuine. However, the Bellingcat investigative network has succeeded in proving that at least some of the information was retrospectively altered — particularly after it appeared on pro-Russian Telegram channels. These falsifications were clearly aimed at exaggerating Russia's military strength and portraying Ukraine's as less powerful than in the original documents. They appear to have been made by Russian Telegram users: It seems unlikely that a Russian secret service was behind them.
Who is behind the data leak?
Since the leaked documents reached the public, one person has been taken into FBI custody. US Attorney General Merrick Garland named a 21-year-old Air National Guard employee in the US state of Massachusetts as the suspect arrested in connection with the leak. The suspect is alleged to have posted the first photos of the classified documents to a Discord server. The photos followed text passages he posted from the documents, according to reporting by the Washington Post citing the suspect's relatives.
The man reportedly said he gained access to the documents at a US military base. The suspect was assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, an Air Force spokesperson said.
Thomas Rid, a German cyber-security expert in the US who has viewed most of the images himself, believes it was an unintentional slip. In an interview with Deutschlandfunk, he described them as photographs of printed documents, almost all of which had been "folded in four." He said that other objects such as a knife, a broken iPhone and a handbook for a telescope were also visible around the documents photographed. Rid thinks it is possible the documents were posted online without the poster thinking about the consequences.
There is a chance that the items seen in the photos and the apparent carelessness with which they were posted led to the suspect being taken into custody so quickly. It remains unclear exactly how he came into possession of the classified documents. How the publication of said documents went unnoticed for weeks also remains unclear.
Ukrainian soldiers near Donetsk: The leaked documents warn that Ukraine is running low on ammunition
Genya Savilov/AFP
What are the consequences of publication?
The damage is already considerable. Some US government officials are describing it as the most serious betrayal of state secrets since the Wikileaks affair. The governments of several US-friendly nations have also reacted with annoyance. The US broadcaster CNN reported that Ukraine had already had to change some of its military plans. Meanwhile, officials in Kyiv tried to downplay the significance of the data breach.
South Korea's government said the majority of the documents concerning its country were "fake." Israel's prime minister also described the information relating to his country as "false and baseless."
The Russian government has denied any involvement in publishing the documents, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described them as "quite interesting," and said they were now "being studied, analyzed, widely discussed."
This article has been translated from German.
The damage is already considerable. Some US government officials are describing it as the most serious betrayal of state secrets since the Wikileaks affair. The governments of several US-friendly nations have also reacted with annoyance. The US broadcaster CNN reported that Ukraine had already had to change some of its military plans. Meanwhile, officials in Kyiv tried to downplay the significance of the data breach.
South Korea's government said the majority of the documents concerning its country were "fake." Israel's prime minister also described the information relating to his country as "false and baseless."
The Russian government has denied any involvement in publishing the documents, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described them as "quite interesting," and said they were now "being studied, analyzed, widely discussed."
This article has been translated from German.
From Discord to 4chan: The Improbable Journey of a US Intelligence Leak
Bellingcat
April 9, 2023
Ukraine
USA
In recent days, the US Justice Department and Pentagon have begun investigating an apparent online leak of sensitive documents, including some that were marked “Top Secret”.
A portion of the documents, which have since been widely covered by the news media, focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while others detailed analysis of potential UK policies on the South China Sea and the activities of a Houthi figure in Yemen.
The existence of the documents was first reported by the New York Times after a number of Russian Telegram channels shared five photographed files relating to the invasion of Ukraine on April 5 – at least one of which has since been found by Bellingcat to be crudely edited.
These documents appeared to be dated to early March, around the time they were first posted online on Discord, a messaging platform popular with gamers.
However, Bellingcat has seen evidence that some documents dated to January could have been posted online even earlier, although it is unclear exactly when. Bellingcat also spoke to three members of the Discord community where the images had been posted who claimed that many more documents had been shared across other Discord servers in recent months.
As the channels were deleted following the controversy generated by the leaked documents, Bellingcat has not been able to confirm this claim.
April 9, 2023
Ukraine
USA
In recent days, the US Justice Department and Pentagon have begun investigating an apparent online leak of sensitive documents, including some that were marked “Top Secret”.
A portion of the documents, which have since been widely covered by the news media, focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while others detailed analysis of potential UK policies on the South China Sea and the activities of a Houthi figure in Yemen.
The existence of the documents was first reported by the New York Times after a number of Russian Telegram channels shared five photographed files relating to the invasion of Ukraine on April 5 – at least one of which has since been found by Bellingcat to be crudely edited.
These documents appeared to be dated to early March, around the time they were first posted online on Discord, a messaging platform popular with gamers.
However, Bellingcat has seen evidence that some documents dated to January could have been posted online even earlier, although it is unclear exactly when. Bellingcat also spoke to three members of the Discord community where the images had been posted who claimed that many more documents had been shared across other Discord servers in recent months.
As the channels were deleted following the controversy generated by the leaked documents, Bellingcat has not been able to confirm this claim.
An aerial view of the Pentagon building in Washington, June 15, 2005, with the Potomac river in the foreground.
Photo (c): REUTERS/Jason Reed JIR/CN
Bizarrely, the Discord channels in which the documents dated from March were posted focused on the Minecraft computer game and fandom for a Filipino YouTube celebrity. They then spread to other sites such as the imageboard 4Chan before appearing on Telegram, Twitter and then major media publishers around the world in recent days.
Ukrainian officials have cast doubt on the veracity of the documents, with Mykhailo Podolyak, the adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stating on Telegram that he believes Russia is behind the purported leak. But US security officials quoted by the New York Times appeared to hint at their authenticity.
Russian Presidential spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told CNN that the documents showed the extent of US and NATO involvement in Ukraine. Yet one pro-Russian Telegram channel that has been providing updates on the conflict wasn’t convinced and said it was possible the documents could be Western disinformation.
The documents appear to detail events and offer analysis of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine up until March 2023.
None of the documents seen by Bellingcat had been scanned but rather had been photographed. Creases can be seen on the documents with items, such as a hunter’s scope box and some Gorilla Glue visible in the background of those dated from early March. This appears to indicate that at least some of the documents were photographed in the same location.
The content of the shared documents ranges widely, with some topics including maps of hotspots in Ukraine such as Bakhmut and Kharkiv, a delivery timetable for Western munitions to Ukraine as well as maps and catalogues of Ukrainian air defence assets – including a calendar of ammunition expenditures. A “CIA Operations Center Intelligence Update” marked “Top Secret” for March 2 is also included in the images, although much of the information in these documents had previously been publicly available through media reports.
While it has as yet not been possible to uncover the original source of these apparent leaks, it has been possible to trace the spread of the documents over a variety of internet forums in recent months before they were reported by pro-Russian Telegram channels and then major media outlets.
Telegram and 4chan
On April 5, the documents started propagating through pro-Russian Telegram channels, with the first version found by Bellingcat being on the Telegram channel “Donbass Devushka” at 9:29pm (Ukraine time).
Bizarrely, the Discord channels in which the documents dated from March were posted focused on the Minecraft computer game and fandom for a Filipino YouTube celebrity. They then spread to other sites such as the imageboard 4Chan before appearing on Telegram, Twitter and then major media publishers around the world in recent days.
Ukrainian officials have cast doubt on the veracity of the documents, with Mykhailo Podolyak, the adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stating on Telegram that he believes Russia is behind the purported leak. But US security officials quoted by the New York Times appeared to hint at their authenticity.
Russian Presidential spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told CNN that the documents showed the extent of US and NATO involvement in Ukraine. Yet one pro-Russian Telegram channel that has been providing updates on the conflict wasn’t convinced and said it was possible the documents could be Western disinformation.
The documents appear to detail events and offer analysis of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine up until March 2023.
None of the documents seen by Bellingcat had been scanned but rather had been photographed. Creases can be seen on the documents with items, such as a hunter’s scope box and some Gorilla Glue visible in the background of those dated from early March. This appears to indicate that at least some of the documents were photographed in the same location.
The content of the shared documents ranges widely, with some topics including maps of hotspots in Ukraine such as Bakhmut and Kharkiv, a delivery timetable for Western munitions to Ukraine as well as maps and catalogues of Ukrainian air defence assets – including a calendar of ammunition expenditures. A “CIA Operations Center Intelligence Update” marked “Top Secret” for March 2 is also included in the images, although much of the information in these documents had previously been publicly available through media reports.
While it has as yet not been possible to uncover the original source of these apparent leaks, it has been possible to trace the spread of the documents over a variety of internet forums in recent months before they were reported by pro-Russian Telegram channels and then major media outlets.
Telegram and 4chan
On April 5, the documents started propagating through pro-Russian Telegram channels, with the first version found by Bellingcat being on the Telegram channel “Donbass Devushka” at 9:29pm (Ukraine time).
A post on the Donbas Devushka channel detailing the documents. The time reads 1:29pm as it was captured on a device operating on US Central time.
This post contained four images before another post with a further image was shared shortly after.
Just a couple of hours earlier, a user on 4chan had posted the first of eight messages in a thread on the Politically Incorrect (/pol/) board, three of which had attached images of seemingly similar, but mostly different, documents.
These eight messages, some of which can be seen below, were made by the same anonymous user, as indicated by the same ID being used – CXWfLHRB.
This post contained four images before another post with a further image was shared shortly after.
Just a couple of hours earlier, a user on 4chan had posted the first of eight messages in a thread on the Politically Incorrect (/pol/) board, three of which had attached images of seemingly similar, but mostly different, documents.
These eight messages, some of which can be seen below, were made by the same anonymous user, as indicated by the same ID being used – CXWfLHRB.
A series of posts on 4chan which were posted roughly two hours before similar documents appeared on the Donbas Devushka Telegram channel. The time on the first post reads 10:33 am US Central time, which is eight hours behind Ukraine.
In a further post without an image, the same poster argued with another 4chan user about the veracity of the information contained within their posts.
There was only one image in common between the Telegram and 4chan posts: a map that showed a number of statistics, including the cumulative number of KIA (killed in action) soldiers on the Russian and Ukrainian sides through the course of the war.
However, the numbers on these two sources differed, with the first source (4chan) showing more Russian losses than Ukrainian, and the second source (Donbass Devushka) the reverse.
A closer examination of the second image, with the much higher Ukrainian KIA numbers, that was posted on Telegram shows crude image manipulation.
As well as the later posting time and far blurrier resolution, the numbers are out of alignment. Spacing between some numbers and letters is also too large to be consistent with the font.
It therefore seems that either the Donbass Devushka Telegram account, or a previous source posted by this account, altered the original image to paint the Ukrainian losses as heavier than in the original assessment.
Nevertheless, neither of the sources for the 4chan or Telegram posts are the original.
Onto Discord
On 4 March – over a month before the Telegram and 4chan posts – 10 documents were posted in a Discord server called “Minecraft Earth Map”. Minecraft is a popular computer game with millions of players around the world. After a brief spat with another person on the server about Minecraft Maps and the war in Ukraine, one of the Discord users replied “here, have some leaked documents” – attaching 10 documents about Ukraine, some of which bore the “Top Secret” markings.
In a further post without an image, the same poster argued with another 4chan user about the veracity of the information contained within their posts.
There was only one image in common between the Telegram and 4chan posts: a map that showed a number of statistics, including the cumulative number of KIA (killed in action) soldiers on the Russian and Ukrainian sides through the course of the war.
However, the numbers on these two sources differed, with the first source (4chan) showing more Russian losses than Ukrainian, and the second source (Donbass Devushka) the reverse.
A closer examination of the second image, with the much higher Ukrainian KIA numbers, that was posted on Telegram shows crude image manipulation.
As well as the later posting time and far blurrier resolution, the numbers are out of alignment. Spacing between some numbers and letters is also too large to be consistent with the font.
It therefore seems that either the Donbass Devushka Telegram account, or a previous source posted by this account, altered the original image to paint the Ukrainian losses as heavier than in the original assessment.
Nevertheless, neither of the sources for the 4chan or Telegram posts are the original.
Onto Discord
On 4 March – over a month before the Telegram and 4chan posts – 10 documents were posted in a Discord server called “Minecraft Earth Map”. Minecraft is a popular computer game with millions of players around the world. After a brief spat with another person on the server about Minecraft Maps and the war in Ukraine, one of the Discord users replied “here, have some leaked documents” – attaching 10 documents about Ukraine, some of which bore the “Top Secret” markings.
Image content pixelated by Bellingcat
All seven of the documents from the 4chan and Telegram posts – including the map with the lower casualty figures from Ukraine – were present in this post, along with three additional ones not posted in any Telegram, Twitter, or 4chan post at the time.
The user who shared this map later claimed on Twitter that he found them posted by another user on a Discord server called WowMao, run by and for fans of a popular YouTuber of the same name.
On March 1 and March 2, a WowMao user posted over 30 documents, many of which are marked “Top Secret”, on the server, therefore predating the Minecraft server posting.
This same user also posted dozens of other documents about Ukraine on this server before they were purged on April 7. While Bellingcat has seen these posts, it has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the documents within them.
Thug Shaker Central
However, the WowMao server may still not be the original source of these documents.
Bellingcat spoke to members of a separate Discord community who claimed that other images had been posted earlier on yet another, since deleted, server often called “Thug Shaker Central” but which also had several other names at different times. Image files shown to Bellingcat detailed a further document in the same style and formatting of those posted in the WowMao server that was dated to January 13.
Yet given the images shared were screengrabs and not a link to the original server post which has been taken down, it is not possible to independently verify their authenticity. The content of these documents beyond the date and classification was also blurred out when shown to Bellingcat.
The Thug Shaker Central server was originally named after its original founder, one member of the server with the username “Vakhi” told Bellingcat. Server administrator duties then passed through various users before a new member took on the responsibility and it went through one of many name changes. Vakhi did not want to name this person but said they were the original source of the leaked documents. According to Vakhi, and two other users who spoke to Bellingcat but declined to be identified by their usernames, the files that were leaked onto WowMao are only the “tip of the iceberg” compared to the quantity of documents posted onto Thug Shaker Central.
There are no traces left of this server outside of testimony from these users, and scattered references to its existence on 4chan. Bellingcat is therefore unable to independently verify all of the information shared by these users, including the aforementioned January document or if the other uploader described as the source of the leak was indeed the original source.
However, Bellingcat was able to confirm that Vakhi and the other users who spoke to Bellingcat, as well as another who shared documents on the WowMao server, were part of the Thug Shaker server given that they shared member lists with Bellingcat which matched in key details.
Their accounts of the server’s general nature also independently coincided. The name of the Thug Shaker server frequently changed, sometimes to that of a racial slur, and had around 20 active users making up a tight-knit community, members said. Posts and channel listings show that the server’s users were interested in video games, music, Orthodox Christianity, and fandom for the popular YouTuber “Oxide”.
This server was not especially geopolitical in nature, although its users had a staunchly conservative stance on several issues, members told Bellingcat. Racial slurs and racist memes were shared widely.
Bellingcat contacted Discord to ask about the existence of the Thug Shaker Central, WowMao and Minecraft Earth Map servers, as well as whether Discord had any knowledge that “Top Secret” documents were apparently being shared there
Bellingcat also asked the Department of Defense (DoD) whether the documents shared in the channels were genuine and if it was aware of the source of the apparent leak.
Discord said it was not able to provide comment at this time when contacted by Bellingcat.
The DoD told Bellingcat in an email that it was “actively reviewing the matter, and has made a formal referral to the Department of Justice for investigation”.
Aric Toler
All seven of the documents from the 4chan and Telegram posts – including the map with the lower casualty figures from Ukraine – were present in this post, along with three additional ones not posted in any Telegram, Twitter, or 4chan post at the time.
The user who shared this map later claimed on Twitter that he found them posted by another user on a Discord server called WowMao, run by and for fans of a popular YouTuber of the same name.
On March 1 and March 2, a WowMao user posted over 30 documents, many of which are marked “Top Secret”, on the server, therefore predating the Minecraft server posting.
This same user also posted dozens of other documents about Ukraine on this server before they were purged on April 7. While Bellingcat has seen these posts, it has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the documents within them.
Thug Shaker Central
However, the WowMao server may still not be the original source of these documents.
Bellingcat spoke to members of a separate Discord community who claimed that other images had been posted earlier on yet another, since deleted, server often called “Thug Shaker Central” but which also had several other names at different times. Image files shown to Bellingcat detailed a further document in the same style and formatting of those posted in the WowMao server that was dated to January 13.
Yet given the images shared were screengrabs and not a link to the original server post which has been taken down, it is not possible to independently verify their authenticity. The content of these documents beyond the date and classification was also blurred out when shown to Bellingcat.
The Thug Shaker Central server was originally named after its original founder, one member of the server with the username “Vakhi” told Bellingcat. Server administrator duties then passed through various users before a new member took on the responsibility and it went through one of many name changes. Vakhi did not want to name this person but said they were the original source of the leaked documents. According to Vakhi, and two other users who spoke to Bellingcat but declined to be identified by their usernames, the files that were leaked onto WowMao are only the “tip of the iceberg” compared to the quantity of documents posted onto Thug Shaker Central.
There are no traces left of this server outside of testimony from these users, and scattered references to its existence on 4chan. Bellingcat is therefore unable to independently verify all of the information shared by these users, including the aforementioned January document or if the other uploader described as the source of the leak was indeed the original source.
However, Bellingcat was able to confirm that Vakhi and the other users who spoke to Bellingcat, as well as another who shared documents on the WowMao server, were part of the Thug Shaker server given that they shared member lists with Bellingcat which matched in key details.
Their accounts of the server’s general nature also independently coincided. The name of the Thug Shaker server frequently changed, sometimes to that of a racial slur, and had around 20 active users making up a tight-knit community, members said. Posts and channel listings show that the server’s users were interested in video games, music, Orthodox Christianity, and fandom for the popular YouTuber “Oxide”.
This server was not especially geopolitical in nature, although its users had a staunchly conservative stance on several issues, members told Bellingcat. Racial slurs and racist memes were shared widely.
Bellingcat contacted Discord to ask about the existence of the Thug Shaker Central, WowMao and Minecraft Earth Map servers, as well as whether Discord had any knowledge that “Top Secret” documents were apparently being shared there
Bellingcat also asked the Department of Defense (DoD) whether the documents shared in the channels were genuine and if it was aware of the source of the apparent leak.
Discord said it was not able to provide comment at this time when contacted by Bellingcat.
The DoD told Bellingcat in an email that it was “actively reviewing the matter, and has made a formal referral to the Department of Justice for investigation”.
Aric TolerAric Toler started volunteering for Bellingcat in 2014 and has been on staff since 2015, now serving as the Director of Training & Research.
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