DEBUNKED Apr 2023 · Leak No. 021

Doctored copies of the Discord documents

Debunked: Claim contradicted by documented evidence.

Affected: United States, Russia, Ukraine

Leaker or group, as reported: Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels circulated an edited image; the editor is not identified

As the genuine Discord documents spread, pro-Kremlin Telegram channels widely circulated an image edited to reduce Russian troop deaths and inflate Ukrainian losses. Some of those channels and outlets then suggested the whole set was at least partly fake.

Confirmed

The BBC reported that one widely circulated image had been edited this way.

Claimed, disputed or not established

The edited image is fake. That does not make the original leak fake: the original is tagged Verified in its own entry. We tag only the edited versions and the "it is all fake" claim.

Reported impact

An example of altered copies being mixed into a real leak to change its message.

Source strength: Single source (the BBC). The edited image itself is not reproduced here.

Sources (opened in a new tab)

BBC News: how secret US files spread then vanished online ↗https://www.bbc.com/news/65240603

Connected

Related leaks: Pentagon documents on Discord (Teixeira)
Case board · Timeline (2023) · Document vault · How we verify leaks

This page describes and cites public reporting. It does not host or link to leaked files, and it names no private individuals.