Amongst different outcomes, Washington is reportedly analyzing the hypothetical deaths of Vladimir Zelensky or Vladimir Putin
The Pentagon has gamed out 4 “wild card” eventualities that would have an effect on the battle in Ukraine, together with the sudden deaths of the presidents of Russia or Ukraine, the New York Instances reported on Tuesday, citing a leaked doc.
Based on the NYT, the doc was compiled by the Protection Intelligence Company (DIA) in February and revealed on social media in latest weeks, together with a trove of different labeled information, most regarding the US’ involvement within the Ukraine battle.
The 4 outcomes thought-about by the DIA are the deaths of both Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky or Russian President Vladimir Putin, the elimination of management inside the Russian Armed Forces, or a Ukrainian strike on the Kremlin.
The DIA reportedly believes {that a} Ukrainian strike on the Kremlin may result in “a full-scale navy mobilization” in Russia or a risk by Putin to make use of tactical nuclear weapons.
Alternately, the American planners suppose that such a brazen escalation by Kiev may power Putin “to barter a settlement to the struggle.”
The NYT didn’t elaborate on which consequence the Pentagon views as most reasonable, or on the probability – in Washington’s eyes – of a Ukrainian strike on Moscow. The newspaper additionally declined to spell out the results of Zelensky or Putin’s deaths, or a management rotation inside the Russian navy.
Unique copies of the doc seem to have been scrubbed from the Discord server the place they had been initially posted, leaving this text the one immediately-available supply.
US officers didn’t affirm whether or not the doc was real, however didn’t dispute its authenticity, the NYT famous. The Pentagon has taken an analogous stance on all the latest Ukraine-related leaks, acknowledging that a number of the materials is “related in format” to its intelligence briefings, with out issuing a direct affirmation.
Different information within the leak element the US’ struggle plans and the variety of NATO particular forces on the bottom in Ukraine, Kiev’s quickly deteriorating ammunition scenario and navy readiness, and different “delicate” materials associated to Ukraine, China, the Center East, and terrorism.
Moscow is contemplating the chance that the paperwork might be forgeries, disseminated to the media so as to lull the Kremlin right into a false sense of safety about Ukraine’s navy capabilities. “As a result of the US is a celebration within the battle [in Ukraine] and is actually waging a hybrid struggle towards us, such tips to deceive the enemy, which means Russia, are doable,” Deputy International Minister Sergey Ryabkov informed reporters on Wednesday.
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