Much of the classified data smuggled out last year by fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has likely been obtained by Russian intelligence officials, US lawmakers warn.
"Ninety-five per cent of the information he took, by the way, was related to military, both tactical and strategic information that we now believe is in the hands of the Russians," congressman Mike Rogers, chairman of the powerful House Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Tuesday.
"A lot of that information benefits the Russians. There's also information in there we believe benefits the Chinese military as well."
Rogers cited a confidential Pentagon report that assessed the data breach by Snowden, who stunned the world when he disclosed the National Security Agency's clandestine program that scoops up the telephone metadata of most Americans.
He said the report determined that "some or all" of the information - the Pentagon says Snowden made off with up to 1.7 million documents - is in the hands of Russian intelligence agencies.
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Snowden, wanted on espionage charges in the US, has been given asylum in Russia.
Rogers said there was no longer a question of whether Snowden was under the influence of Russian intelligence services.
"The question is, when did that start?"
The committee's top Democrat, Charles "Dutch" Ruppersberger, agreed with the theory that Russian agents were now sifting through an extraordinary data stream thanks to Snowden.
"I can't say that I have seen Snowden give this information, but he's there. I know the Russians," Ruppersberger said.
"I'm sure the Russians have gotten all of this information."
Last October Snowden told The New York Times that he left all the documents with reporters he met in Hong Kong before flying to Moscow.
"There's a zero per cent chance the Russians or Chinese have received any documents," he said.
