WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Ukrainian officials say they don’t see a major U.S. intelligence leak as seriously damaging future offensives, having long refrained from sharing their most sensitive operational information, doubting Washington’s ability to protect your secrets.

Only the Ukrainians, not their American allies, know certain battle plans and other operational information, Ukrainian and American officials said this week. This means that the leak of secret military documents, including some assessing Ukraine’s strengths and weaknesses on the battlefield against Russia, may not have been enough – so far – to alter the course of the war.

“If military operations are planned, then only a very narrow circle of people know about the plans for the special operation,” Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar told Ukrainian television on Wednesday. As for the most important problems, “the risk of leaks is minimal”.

In any case, the United States considers leaks a serious matter. The documents include previously unpublished sensitive revelations about Ukraine, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. Senior federal government officials are working to stem the flow of confidential information to social media and websites, preventing any long-term damage to relationships with allies and strategic partners.

And even more damaging material could emerge. Leaked documents continue to surface online, and future revelations could be more damaging to Ukraine than what has been released so far.

Meanwhile, Russia has made it clear that it is thoroughly investigating each of the revealed secrets. “Quite interesting,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

However, Russian-language online forums featured Russian military bloggers discussing whether the leaks were a US disinformation campaign aimed at tricking Russia into making the Ukrainian military look vulnerable.

Ukrainian officials and ordinary citizens have made it clear they cannot afford an open rift with the United States over the leaks, after Washington provided Ukraine with more than $100 billion in military aid and civil.

“It’s a shame that these things are happening,” lamented one woman, Nataliia Maltseva, in Kyiv, where many people said they were thinking of something other than leaking US intelligence.

But “I trust Joe Biden. I know he is an experienced person who loves Ukraine. I’m sure everything will get better,” Maltseva said on Wednesday.

Confidentiality remains intact in one area in particular, Ukraine’s plans for any future offensive against Russian forces, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in Washington on Tuesday after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart.

“They have a big plan (…) but only President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy and his top brass really know all the details of this plan,” the defense minister said.

During their ongoing tours of European and North American capitals to obtain weapons and funds from the West to continue the fighting, Ukrainian military and civilian commanders have answered questions about whether the leaks will damage their relations. with the United States, affirming unity among the allies. was one of the most important war requirements for Ukraine.

“It was not nice to hear” the details that have come to light, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told reporters in Madrid on Wednesday.

“There is a lot of information that is not true,” he added, without going into details. “And truthful information has already lost its relevance.”

He said the leaks were a deliberate information operation, for the benefit of Russia, with the aim of “lowering the level of trust between the allies”.

Concerns about the impact of US intelligence leaks were raised “everywhere” during meetings with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on Wednesday, Sen. Joe Manchin said. The Democrat was joined by Senators Mark Kelly and Lisa Murkowski, as well as singer Brad Paisley, for a one-day official visit that included meetings with Zelenskyy and other top officials.

The leaks include photos of folded paper documents. US defense officials say information in some of the logs has been altered.

The documents show real-time details from February and March on Ukrainian and Russian positions on the battlefield, and exact figures on how much equipment was lost and how much reached the Ukraine of their allies.

They also reveal how Ukraine’s crucial anti-aircraft systems are about to run out of missiles: the arsenal is expected to run out even later this month or in May, unless there are a major restocking. This could leave the skies over Ukraine more exposed to Russian air and artillery strikes that have already devastated cities and infrastructure.

In Toronto, ahead of his meeting with Austin in Washington on Wednesday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal downplayed the danger, expressing optimism. Ukraine will get more of the Soviet-era anti-aircraft missiles it needs.

“Our air defense will be very effective,” Shmyhal told CTV, “we will have all the equipment.”

Although the leaked information is more detailed, Ukraine and its allies have publicly warned of the urgent need for resupply of the Ukrainian anti-aircraft system.

John Sipher, a former CIA official and expert on Russia, said while the leak of sensitive information is “despicable”, he doesn’t think it really hurts Ukraine’s military efforts. Typically, the intelligence community’s most sensitive and protected secrets do not end up in the Department of Defense compendiums to which these documents appear to belong, he said.

And because much of Moscow’s information appears to come from signals intelligence – electronic surveillance of weapons and communications systems – “it’s really hard for Russia to change its procedures and equipment on the fly during a war,” Sipher added.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak pointed out that the leaked war assessments do not actually contain operational information and are partly fake. The military command is responsible for developing Ukraine’s tactics and strategies, which have not been directly affected, he told The Associated Press.

“Operational scenarios are still being worked out as the front is flexible and changes are being made every day,” he stressed.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, reports have surfaced that US officials have commented on how well-guarded senior Ukrainian officials are holding their war secrets. A frequent complaint was that Americans knew more about Russia’s war status than Ukraine.

On the streets of Kiev, another Ukrainian, Serhii Bos, expressed hope that “our American allies” would learn from the leak, but said it would not affect the mood of Ukrainians.

“It doesn’t change anything,” he said. “Everything stays as it is. We need to get our lands back.

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Arhirova reported from Kyiv. Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, in Washington; Ciaran Giles, in Madrid; and Samya Kullab in Kyiv contributed to this report.