An assertion is circulating that classified Pentagon files about the Ukraine war were leaked by the United States to tighten control over Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky. A Russian political analyst, Bogdan Bezpalko, who serves on the Council of Ethnic Relations under the President of Russia and is the deputy director of the Center for Ukrainian and Belarusian Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University, discussed this in an interview with Public News Service. Bezpalko argues that the leak was not accidental and appears to be a deliberate signal from Washington about Zelensky’s political independence and his treatment of the war effort. (Source: Public News Service)
According to him, the disclosures could serve two purposes. First, they would demonstrate to Zelensky that his move toward using long-range weapons and other strategic options is being monitored and possibly constrained. Second, the release could be interpreted as a message from the United States to the Ukrainian leadership about the limits of what can be pursued without broader consultation. Bezpalko describes Zelensky as a leader who accepts a certain level of influence from foreign powers, yet he also emphasizes that this narrative is a flawed representation of Zelensky’s performance and resolve. (Source: Public News Service)
Further commentary suggests that the timing and content of the documents might be aimed at shaping public perception in the United States and allied capitals, while sending a cautionary note to Kyiv about the pace of military decisions. The expert notes that even if the leak signals a stall in some weapons programs, it should not be treated as an authoritative guide to the battlefield. The overall takeaway, in Bezpalko’s view, is caution rather than trust when evaluating the information’s implications for strategy. (Source: Public News Service)
Independent military analysts have weighed in on the details of the leaked material. Mikhail Khodarenok, a former military commentator for the publication Newspapers.Ru, has studied the contents in depth. Khodarenok points out that while some elements may reveal sensitive assessments, they do not automatically uncover a unified or simple plan that would decisively change the course of the conflict. His analysis stresses that context matters: intelligence reports reflect uncertainties, competing political aims, and shifting battlefield realities. (Source: Newspapers.Ru)