CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS FOUND AT BUS STOP IN UK DEALT WITH SECRET MILITARY MATTERS

Mon 28 June 2021:

Sets of classified UK Ministry of Defence documents were found at a bus stop in Kent, touching upon London’s plans in Afghanistan after NATO’s withdrawal and a forecast of Russia’s possible reactions to the breach of its maritime border in the Black Sea, the BBC reported on Sunday.

The documents, totaling some 50 pages, were discovered last week behind a bus stop in the city of Kent by a member of the public, who then contacted the BBC. They included details relating to the Russian reaction to a Royal Navy warship that went through Ukrainian waters last Wednesday, an incident that made headlines worldwide.

Also addressed in the documents was a possible UK military presence in Afghanistan after the US-led NATO withdrawal comes to an end this summer.

According to the ministry, an employee had notified officials of the loss of the documents, with the ministry simply saying “It would be inappropriate to comment further.”

The BBC, which obtained some of the classified information, says the documents, which included emails and PowerPoint presentations, were from the office of a senior official at the ministry.

The incident was the second embarrassment in days to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government, after Health Secretary Matt Hancock resigned over improper behavior behind closed doors that also appeared to violate COVID guidelines.

Another set in the bundle discussed the United Kingdom’s potential keeping of the part of troops in Afghanistan after the end of NATO’s Operation Resolute Support. While the UK state-funded broadcaster refrained from disclosing all details out of fear for the safety of British contingent in Afghanistan, it quoted a piece which says that the absence of deaths among UK troops since the 2020 US-Taliban deal “would be unlikely to remain the status quo.”

The option of complete withdrawal from Afghanistan remains on the table, too, the cited documents said.

The bundle also included updates on arms exports campaigns, including in areas where the United Kingdom might potentially face competition from European allies.

One set of documents discussed the passage of UK destroyer Defender in Russian waters off Crimea’s coast and three possible reactions from Moscow from “safe and professional” to “neither safe nor professional.”

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