The Department of Justice has announced that they’ve launched a criminal investigation into the leak of what appear to be highly sensitive and classified documents from the US. Military.

The documents surfaced weeks ago on social media, but have only recently gained traction among worldwide government officials. The leaked documents appear to show classified and sensitive information pertaining to a range of issues on national and foreign security. Among the information leaked is material regarding U.S. relationships and communication involving allies and compromising info that could become a matter of national security in the hands of adversaries.

The documents were first discovered by open-source intelligence researchers and are believed to have been posted online over the past couple of weeks. Some reports indicate that the documents were initially posted on platforms including a Minecraft board and other online discussion forums including Discord and 4Chan. Both Discord and 4Chan have been known platforms for threat actors including terrorists, white supremacists, and organized crime rings.

U.S. officials detail that the investigation is still in its early phases and they have not yet named a person or organization responsible. Although the documents have not been verified as authentic, they have raised alarming concerns among U.S. government officials in a range of departments.

The documents circulating online appear to be photographs of the original documents, indicating that they may have been removed from a secure facility. In some of the photographs, the documents display visible crease lines as though they were folded. Although an individual has not been named, U.S. officials have not ruled out that the leak could have resulted from a pro-Russian operative.

The leaked documents detail sensitive information regarding the war in Ukraine and include detailed notes and images of troop formations and casualties associated with the war. According to a Reuters report, some of the documents appear to have altered battlefield casualties in order to minimize Russian losses. Other documents highlight that Ukraine's air defenses could be compromised with resources regarding their S-300 air defense system running out if they are not replenished by May 2. U.S. officials have shared that they cannot rule out the possibility that the documents were intentionally doctored in order to mislead investigators.

If the documents were not doctored and are authentic as they appear to be, U.S. officials warn about the inadvertent support the material could supply to Russian forces and other adversaries. Concerns have also arisen regarding the U.S.’s ability to safeguard state and international secrets and other classified information.

In reviewing the documents, the Pentagon has shared that the leaked documents "appear to contain sensitive and highly classified material." Many of the documents are marked “Secret” and “Top Secret” while others are marked “NOFORN” indicating that they are not to be released to foreign nationals.

In addition to providing compromising security information about U.S. adversaries, the documents paint an image of U.S. spy tactics against allies including Israel and South Korea.

One document labeled “Top Secret” and appearing to come from the CIA Intel department details information regarding the support of protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his efforts to tighten controls on the Supreme Court. The document goes on to say that U.S. officials learned of this through signals intelligence, a method that suggests the U.S. has been spying on the Israeli government. Netanyahu's Office later responded to the leaked documents calling the assertion that the U.S. spies on its allies "mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever."

Another document shows internal discussions between South Korean senior officials and U.S. officials as the U.S. put pressure on Seoul to provide military support to Ukraine. The office of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also responded on Monday, sharing that the authenticity of the documents should be verified and that after verification happens, it expects the U.S. government to take “appropriate” steps forward. The South Korean office also shared that if the documents were proven to be fabricated or the attempt of a third party to disrupt an ally, such an attempt “would face repercussions.”

The U.S. has doubled down on calming the fears of its allies by sharing that even if the leaked documents proved to be real, they merely show a snapshot in a time frame that was over a month ago. Two officials that spoke with Reuters under the basis of anonymity explained that the military and U.S. intelligence agencies are currently reviewing their process of how intelligence is shared internally to keep such a significant breach from happening in the future.

In a report with CNN, another U.S. official indicated that while the probe is looking internally, the investigation is not limited to just the Pentagon and will also look at individuals or groups across federal government facilities that could have had access to the documents.

While not much information has been released regarding who or what organization may be behind the leak, reports indicate that investigators have narrowed their scope to four or five theories. One very plausible theory includes a disgruntled employee or an insider threat that is set on compromising or undermining the interests of U.S. National Security.