Top secret military documents on HMS Defender found at Kent bus stop | Metro News
Top secret military documents found ‘in soggy heap’ at bus stop
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Emma Brazell
Sunday 27 Jun 2021 8:56 am
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The documents reveal details about HMS Defender and the British military (Picture: PA/BBC)
Top secret Ministry of Defence documents have been found in a ‘soggy heap’ at a bus stop in Kent.
Fifty pages of documents reveal details about HMS Defender and the British military.
They allegedly show officials had predicted Russia may respond ‘aggressively’ to the ship’s passage through Ukrainian waters off the Crimea coast, but still decided to go ahead.
Other pages reportedly cover potential plans for a UK military presence in Afghanistan after the US-led Nato operation ends.
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A man turned them over to the BBC after realising the ‘sensitive nature’ of the documents.
An investigation has been launched amid claims they ‘came from the office of a senior official at the MoD’.
The HMS Defender’s ‘innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters’ on Wednesday was discussed at a high level as late as Monday, according to the BBC report.
The documents are said to consider three potential responses – ranging from ‘safe and professional’ to ‘neither safe nor professional’.
One presentation cautioned ‘it is highly likely that RFN (Russian navy) and VKS (Russian air force) interactions will become more frequent and assertive’.
An alternative route that would have avoided conflict was contemplated but officials ‘didn’t want the UK to be viewed as running or scared’. The journey was ‘made as a show of support for Ukraine’.
Classified Ministry of Defence documents containing details about HMS Defender and the British military have been found at a bus stop in Kent
Officials warned Russian air force interactions ‘will become more frequent and assertive’ (Picture: BBC)
Classified Ministry of Defence documents containing details about HMS Defender and the British military have been found at a bus stop in Kent
The documents are reported to have considered three potential responses to the HMS Defender’s passage through Ukrainian waters off the Crimea coast (Picture: BBC)
HMS Defender's route as Russian bombs try to knock it off course
The Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday a Russian warship had fired warning shots and dropped four bombs in the north-western part of the Black Sea.
But the Ministry of Defence disputed this version of events, saying Russia was undertaking a pre-planned gunnery exercise in the Black Sea.
Moscow has accused the UK of telling ‘barefaced lies’, warning there will be serious consequences.
But Boris Johnson has insisted ‘the carrier strike group proceeded in the way you would expect through international waters and in accordance with the law’.
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The secret papers are also reported to include updates on arms exports and notes from last Monday’s UK-US Defence Dialogue.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Sky News he is aware of the bus stop discovery.
He said: ‘It’s something none of us want to see and shouldn’t be able to happen.
‘It was properly reported at the time into the Ministry of Defence, there’s obviously an internal investigation into that situation as well, and I’ve got to allow… the MOD to work through that investigation to understand exactly how this managed to occur.’
An MoD spokesperson said an employee had reported the loss of sensitive defence papers, adding: ‘It would be inappropriate to comment further.’
Comment
author image
Emma Brazell
Sunday 27 Jun 2021 8:56 am
108
SHARES
hms defender
The documents reveal details about HMS Defender and the British military (Picture: PA/BBC)
Top secret Ministry of Defence documents have been found in a ‘soggy heap’ at a bus stop in Kent.
Fifty pages of documents reveal details about HMS Defender and the British military.
They allegedly show officials had predicted Russia may respond ‘aggressively’ to the ship’s passage through Ukrainian waters off the Crimea coast, but still decided to go ahead.
Other pages reportedly cover potential plans for a UK military presence in Afghanistan after the US-led Nato operation ends.
Read More
A man turned them over to the BBC after realising the ‘sensitive nature’ of the documents.
An investigation has been launched amid claims they ‘came from the office of a senior official at the MoD’.
The HMS Defender’s ‘innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters’ on Wednesday was discussed at a high level as late as Monday, according to the BBC report.
The documents are said to consider three potential responses – ranging from ‘safe and professional’ to ‘neither safe nor professional’.
One presentation cautioned ‘it is highly likely that RFN (Russian navy) and VKS (Russian air force) interactions will become more frequent and assertive’.
An alternative route that would have avoided conflict was contemplated but officials ‘didn’t want the UK to be viewed as running or scared’. The journey was ‘made as a show of support for Ukraine’.
Classified Ministry of Defence documents containing details about HMS Defender and the British military have been found at a bus stop in Kent
Officials warned Russian air force interactions ‘will become more frequent and assertive’ (Picture: BBC)
Classified Ministry of Defence documents containing details about HMS Defender and the British military have been found at a bus stop in Kent
The documents are reported to have considered three potential responses to the HMS Defender’s passage through Ukrainian waters off the Crimea coast (Picture: BBC)
HMS Defender's route as Russian bombs try to knock it off course
The Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday a Russian warship had fired warning shots and dropped four bombs in the north-western part of the Black Sea.
But the Ministry of Defence disputed this version of events, saying Russia was undertaking a pre-planned gunnery exercise in the Black Sea.
Moscow has accused the UK of telling ‘barefaced lies’, warning there will be serious consequences.
But Boris Johnson has insisted ‘the carrier strike group proceeded in the way you would expect through international waters and in accordance with the law’.
MORE: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
zone post image for post 14715789
Army's £3.57bn tank trial halted for being too slow and too noisy
The secret papers are also reported to include updates on arms exports and notes from last Monday’s UK-US Defence Dialogue.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Sky News he is aware of the bus stop discovery.
He said: ‘It’s something none of us want to see and shouldn’t be able to happen.
‘It was properly reported at the time into the Ministry of Defence, there’s obviously an internal investigation into that situation as well, and I’ve got to allow… the MOD to work through that investigation to understand exactly how this managed to occur.’
An MoD spokesperson said an employee had reported the loss of sensitive defence papers, adding: ‘It would be inappropriate to comment further.’
