Leaked document: Among them are the murders of Putin and Zelensky. 4 scenarios for the Ukraine war

The New York Times says it has obtained a classified intelligence document from among the leaked Pentagon documents detailing plans to deal with emergencies after a year of war in Ukraine.

The document includes an analysis by the US Defense Intelligence Agency that identifies 4 hypothetical scenarios, and how they could affect the course of the conflict in Ukraine if they occur.

Hypothetical scenarios include the deaths of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a change of command of the Russian armed forces, and Ukrainian strikes on the Kremlin.

The document predicts that the war will be prolonged, and explains that each of these scenarios, which is difficult to predict, may lead to a different outcome, as it may lead to an escalation of the conflict or the launch of negotiations that end it, and may have little impact on the course of the war.

According to the New York Times report, one of the four hypothetical scenarios discusses what would happen if the Kremlin were targeted by a Ukrainian military strike. The document offers many potential implications. The event could escalate the Russian-Ukrainian conflict if Putin, spurred by public protests in his country, launches a large-scale military mobilization and considers the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

In turn, the Kremlin's targeting by Ukraine may alarmed the Russian people and push Putin to the negotiating table to reach a settlement that ends the war.

The newspaper pointed out that the administration of US President Joe Biden is concerned about the possibility of targeting Moscow with a Ukrainian strike, as this may result in a dangerous Russian escalation, which made the United States reluctant to provide Kiev with long-range missiles.

She explained that the leaked document dates back to February 24 and was written on it with the word "after a year", indicating that the analysis was prepared a year after the start of the war.

The analysis was designed to help U.S. military officers, policymakers and lawmakers think about the potential consequences of major events as they weigh their options.