British Ministry of Defense opens investigation into 'sensitive' documents found at bus station

World

Published: 2021-06-27 13:19

Last Updated: 2024-03-29 13:45


Source: The Sun
Source: The Sun

The British Ministry of Defense said Sunday it had opened an investigation after a member of the public found "sensitive" documents, some of which, according to the BBC, related to the recent passage of a Royal Navy ship off the coast of Crimea.

A spokesman for the ministry said that it "was informed (...) of the incident of finding sensitive defense documents," and added that an employee had reported the matter.

"The ministry takes the issue of information security very seriously and has opened an investigation," he added.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the confidential documents, totaling about fifty pages, including emails and PowerPoint presentations, were found on Tuesday morning behind a bus stop in Kent (southern England).

Some documents talk about a possible British military presence in Afghanistan after the departure of international forces. Another expressed concern about Moscow's possible reaction to the passage of a Royal Navy ship, the HMS Defender, on Wednesday in the Black Sea off Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, which Russia announced in 2014.

The Russian army confirmed that it directed warning shots against the destroyer. But the British government denied it, saying the Russians were conducting "shooting exercises" and describing the ship's passage as "a simple crossing in Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law.”

According to the documents, the possibility of Russia's aggressive response in the future was discussed.

"As expected by public opinion, the Department of Defense is carefully planning (...) including an analysis of all potential factors influencing operational decisions," a HMS Defender spokesman said.