'Serious level of inaccuracy': MOD responds to claims that UK special forces have been operating in Ukraine

The Ministry of Defence says there is "a serious level of inaccuracy" in alleged leaks which claim UK special forces have been operating in Ukraine.

It has warned against taking allegations contained in the apparent leak of US classified information at "face value" after the claims were widely reported online.

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A spokesperson for the MOD said in a message posted on Twitter: "The widely reported leak of alleged classified US information has demonstrated a serious level of inaccuracy.

"Readers should be cautious about taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation."

Media outlets including the BBC and The Guardian reported that a document, dated 23 March, indicated that as many as 50 UK special forces personnel had been deployed to Ukraine alongside special forces from other Western nations.

But, according to the reports, the document does not state where the forces are located or what they are doing.

'Doctored' slides

Pentagon spokesman Chris Meagher urged caution in "promoting or amplifying any of these documents", adding that "it does appear that slides have been doctored".

The documents may have been first published in a chatroom on Discord, a social media platform popular with gamers, The Associated Press reported.

According to one member of the chat, an unidentified poster shared documents that were allegedly classified, first typing them out with the poster's own thoughts, then, as of a few months ago, beginning to post images of papers with folds in them.

The posts appear to have gone unnoticed outside of the chat until a few weeks ago, when they began to circulate more widely on social media.

The Associated Press said it could not independently confirm many details shared by the person, and the original chatroom has been deleted.

Asked on Monday if the US Government was effectively waiting for more intelligence documents to show up online, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby replied: "The truth and the honest answer to your question is: We don't know. And is that a matter of concern to us? You're darn right it is."