Sunday, 19 Jan On this day ...
Minecraft cosplayers in Los Angeles, 2011. Wikimedia Commons // Doug Kline
Q1. The US is investigating an apparent online leak of sensitive documents, including some that were marked "Top Secret."
The documents appear to originate from within the US military and intelligence agencies, and include details about the disposition of Ukrainian forces and air defenses, classified information about arms and support the US has provided to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, and intelligence on internal matters in a variety of nations, including Israel and South Korea.
How much do you hold the Biden Administration to blame for the leak, and how serious do you think the ramifications are for national security?
The documents appear to originate from within the US military and intelligence agencies, and include details about the disposition of Ukrainian forces and air defenses, classified information about arms and support the US has provided to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, and intelligence on internal matters in a variety of nations, including Israel and South Korea.
How much do you hold the Biden Administration to blame for the leak, and how serious do you think the ramifications are for national security?
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Don't know
3%
2%
3%
1%
7%
4%
3%
1%
3%
3%
Don't care
1%
0%
1%
0%
0%
1%
0%
2%
0%
Q2. The documents had been in public since at least March 4, a month before the leak was reported, when ten images were posted in a Discord server called "Minecraft Earth Map."
Minecraft is a popular computer game with millions of players around the world. After a brief spat with another person on the server about Minecraft maps and the war in Ukraine, someone became upset with jokes about the Russian invasion, and apparently the leaker posted the files to prove that the war was real — “here, have some leaked documents” – attaching ten documents about Ukraine, some of which bore "Top Secret" markings. A few people reacted positively, and then the conversations were entirely about Minecraft.
Eventually the images spread to 4Chan and pro-Russian Telegram channels (where they were altered to make killed in action data more favorable to Russia) and came to the attention of US authorities and the media.
How do you think the documents originally ended up online?
Minecraft is a popular computer game with millions of players around the world. After a brief spat with another person on the server about Minecraft maps and the war in Ukraine, someone became upset with jokes about the Russian invasion, and apparently the leaker posted the files to prove that the war was real — “here, have some leaked documents” – attaching ten documents about Ukraine, some of which bore "Top Secret" markings. A few people reacted positively, and then the conversations were entirely about Minecraft.
Eventually the images spread to 4Chan and pro-Russian Telegram channels (where they were altered to make killed in action data more favorable to Russia) and came to the attention of US authorities and the media.
How do you think the documents originally ended up online?
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Ukraine
1%
1%
1%
2%
1%
0%
0%
2%
1%
0%
Russia
6%
3%
8%
2%
5%
8%
0%
5%
5%
11%
China
4%
3%
5%
8%
2%
0%
4%
3%
5%
3%
Democrats in US govt
13%
15%
12%
27%
14%
1%
3%
10%
19%
17%
Republicans in US govt
7%
4%
10%
0%
6%
13%
2%
6%
11%
9%
Rogue military/intel personnel
35%
35%
36%
28%
35%
42%
35%
31%
35%
42%
Accidental/careless personnel
20%
23%
16%
19%
14%
22%
41%
25%
11%
6%
Other
1%
1%
1%
1%
3%
1%
1%
0%
1%
3%
Docs are fakes
2%
1%
2%
0%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
Don't know
11%
13%
8%
11%
14%
10%
12%
13%
10%
9%
Don't care
1%
1%
1%
1%
2%
1%
0%
3%
1%
0%
Q3. When it comes to the content of the leak, many news outlets are focused on documents that report a looming shortfall in Ukrainian anti-aircraft munitions. Such a shortfall could lead to the largely grounded Russian fighter and bomber fleet going back into action in Ukraine as early as May.
Do you think this leak will lead to more, or less, US material support for Ukraine? And would you like to see more, or less, material support?
Do you think this leak will lead to more, or less, US material support for Ukraine? And would you like to see more, or less, material support?
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Don't know
6%
6%
7%
8%
6%
6%
8%
6%
7%
4%
Don't care
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
0%
3%
0%
A former FBI executive told the Wall Street Journal that he believed the agency will investigate the leak as a “treasonous” act. Many spooked Discord members are leaving the compromised servers or deleting their accounts. “I left that server and I really hope that I am safe,” one server member reportedly wrote on Friday, according to one of the leakers on the Minecraft server.
This is not the first time that sensitive military information has leaked within a gaming community. War Thunder, a massive multiplayer online game dedicated to military vehicles, has seen instances where players have leaked weapon schematics to win internet arguments no fewer than four separate times
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