CNN has not been able to confirm the authenticity of the document, but according to US intelligence, the vast majority of leaked documents have been genuine.
News channel CNN (you will switch to another service) According to a leaked document obtained by the US intelligence service, Wagner, a Russian mercenary company participating in the fighting in Ukraine, has tried to buy weapons and equipment from NATO member Turkey.
According to CNN, the leaked document seems to show how much effort the mercenary company has gone to in trying to strengthen its positions as the war in Ukraine drags on.
As a member of the defense alliance NATO, Turkey is considered a partner of the United States and other countries that support Ukraine militarily, and has publicly expressed its opposition to the Russian invasion.
Turkey is also home to a major US military base where nuclear weapons are stored.
The evidence that Turkey negotiated the sale of arms and equipment to a Russian mercenary company is most obviously of concern to the US administration. At the same time, the evidence also complicates Turkey’s relations with other NATO member countries, states CNN.
According to CNN, the leaked document also shows that Wagner planned to resume recruiting prisoners from Russian prisons.
According to a US intelligence report cited in the document, Wagner group personnel met with Turkish contacts in early February with the intention of purchasing weapons and equipment that would have been used by mercenaries fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
According to the leaked document, Wagner also planned to use weapons and equipment purchased from Turkey in Mali, where the company has been active.
Wagner is believed to have tried his luck
Although there is no evidence of any dealings between Turkey and Wagner, details of the February meeting suggest that US administration officials believe the mercenary company at least tried its luck.
According to CNN, it has not been able to confirm the authenticity of the document from independent sources. However, US officials have stated that the vast majority of the leaked documents are genuine.
According to the US State Department, the country’s Ministry of Defense and intelligence services are actively reviewing and evaluating the authenticity of the leaked documents.
CNN says it has contacted the US National Security Council, the Turkish President’s Office and the Turkish Embassy in Washington for comment.