UK documents found at bus stop dealt with secret military matters

LONDON

Classified Ministry of Defense documents found at a bus stop in southeastern England included material on high-profile military issues, according to British press reports.

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.