• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

New

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

PoliticsUkraine invasion

The U.S. is one of several Western countries with military special forces on the ground in Ukraine, leaked documents show

By
Chloe Taylor
Chloe Taylor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chloe Taylor
Chloe Taylor
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 12, 2023, 11:08 AM ET
Ukrainian troop rides a tank in Donbas, June 2022. Leaked documents reportedly show the U.S. and NATO allies have special forces in the country.
Ukrainian troop rides a tank in Donbas, June 2022. Leaked documents reportedly show the U.S. and NATO allies have special forces in the country.Anatolii Stepanov—AFP/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

America and other Western nations have special forces operating on the ground in Ukraine, according to recently leaked classified documents.

The BBC reported on Wednesday that among dozens of those files—some of which were marked “top secret”—was a revelation that the U.S. had 14 special operatives in the war-torn country.

Fellow NATO member states Latvia, France, and the Netherlands had 17, 15, and one special operative in Ukraine respectively, according to the report. The U.K. had the largest contingent of special forces in the country, the BBC reported, with 50 troops on the ground.

The file cited by the BBC was one of several apparent U.S. military documents containing NATO information about Ukraine which were leaked at the end of last week.

The U.S. Special Forces, an elite division of the military, are deployed in various types of missions, including counterinsurgency and foreign internal defense.

According to the BBC, documents did not say where NATO forces were located in Ukraine, or what they were doing there.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday that American forces were indeed operating in Ukraine.

“I won’t talk to the specifics of numbers and that kind of thing,” he said. “But…there is a small U.S. military presence at the embassy in conjunction with the Defense Attaché’s Office to help us work on accountability of the material that is going in and out of Ukraine. So they’re attached to that embassy and to that…defense attaché.”

A spokesperson for the Pentagon referred Fortune to Tuesday’s statement on the leak, which suggested many of the documents circulating online were legitimate, when asked for a comment on the BBC’s report.

“We’re still investigating how this happened, as well as the scope of the issue,” Chris Meagher, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, said at the time. “There have been steps to take a closer look at how this type of information is distributed and to whom. We’re also still trying to assess what might be out there.”

However, he did note that some of the images being shared on social media appeared to have been altered.

In a statement published on Twitter Tuesday, Britain’s Ministry of Defence urged those reading any supposed leaked documents to exercise caution about “taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation.”

The U.K. MoD referred Fortune to this statement when asked about the BBC’s report.

Spokespeople for the Latvian and Dutch governments were not immediately available for comment when contacted by Fortune.

France has denied the presence of French soldiers in Ukraine, French news outlet Le Monde reported over the weekend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously accused NATO—whose member countries have provided Ukraine with billions of dollars’ worth of weapons and other military equipment—of participating in the conflict.

NATO has long been a point of contention for Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has demanded that the country never be permitted to join the military alliance.

However, the war in Ukraine has actually triggered eastward expansion of NATO, with Finland—which shares a border with Russia—joining the coalition last week in a bid to strengthen its defenses. The Kremlin labeled the move a “violation of our security and our national interests.”

Fortune Daily breaks the traditional barrier between audience and newsroom. The show transforms Fortune’s trusted reporting into actionable, conversational, and entertaining insights for an emerging class of business leaders. Watch here.
About the Author
By Chloe Taylor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Politics

President Donald Trump looks on during an announcement.
CryptoDonald Trump
‘This is insider trading by definition’: Trump sells $100,000 monthly subscription service to Wall Street to further monetize the presidency
By Joshua HongAugust 4, 2026
3 hours ago
t
EconomyWhite House
Trump called his own housing bill a ‘yawn.’ Now he’s heading for a west coast tour with a 32% approval rating on the economy
By Darlene Superville and The Associated PressAugust 4, 2026
6 hours ago
Cars on a highway in the Bronx, N.Y.
Personal FinanceTaxes
How Zohran Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax exposed an epidemic of ‘ghost cars’ instead
By Catherina GioinoAugust 4, 2026
12 hours ago
The Danube is running dry, and Europe’s power grid is suffering as a result
EnvironmentEuropean Union
The Danube is running dry, and Europe’s power grid is suffering as a result
By Justin Spike and The Associated PressAugust 3, 2026
22 hours ago
‘There is no Fund’: GOP holdouts back Blanche after DOJ scraps proposed $1.8 billion slush fund
PoliticsAmerican Politics
‘There is no Fund’: GOP holdouts back Blanche after DOJ scraps proposed $1.8 billion slush fund
By Mary Clare Jalonick, Alanna Durkin Richer and The Associated PressAugust 3, 2026
23 hours ago
Ukraine uses business principles to maximize Russia’s casualties and economic costs, potentially crushing its will to keep fighting, RAND says 
EconomyUkraine invasion
Ukraine uses business principles to maximize Russia’s casualties and economic costs, potentially crushing its will to keep fighting, RAND says 
By Jason MaAugust 3, 2026
24 hours ago

Most Popular

How Zohran Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax exposed an epidemic of 'ghost cars' instead
Personal Finance
How Zohran Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax exposed an epidemic of 'ghost cars' instead
By Catherina GioinoAugust 4, 2026
12 hours ago
Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
North America
Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
By Catherina GioinoAugust 2, 2026
2 days ago
Wall Street bulls are starting to admit the earnings bubble is real—and the 60/40 portfolio may be the first casualty
Investing
Wall Street bulls are starting to admit the earnings bubble is real—and the 60/40 portfolio may be the first casualty
By Nick LichtenbergAugust 3, 2026
1 day ago
The Iran war already has a winner: The world’s largest shipbroker notching record earnings from the 'exceptional volatility' in the Strait of Hormuz
Energy
The Iran war already has a winner: The world’s largest shipbroker notching record earnings from the 'exceptional volatility' in the Strait of Hormuz
By Sasha RogelbergAugust 3, 2026
1 day ago
Electric air taxis are finally ready for takeoff
Magazine
Electric air taxis are finally ready for takeoff
By Alexei OreskovicAugust 3, 2026
1 day ago
Ray Dalio on the AI bubble nearing 1929, 2000 levels and the lesson people always forget: 'Wealth is not the same as money'
Investing
Ray Dalio on the AI bubble nearing 1929, 2000 levels and the lesson people always forget: 'Wealth is not the same as money'
By Nick LichtenbergAugust 4, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.