❌

Vue normale

Reçu aujourd’hui — 7 août 2025
  • ✇Euromaidan Press
  • US active-duty soldier offered M1A2 Abrams tank secrets to Russia in exchange for citizenship, DOJ says
    A US active-duty soldier has been charged with federal crimes after allegedly trying to give Abrams tank secrets to Russia in exchange for citizenship. According to the US Justice Department, the soldier handed over technical data and attempted to export tank hardware to someone he believed represented the Russian government. This comes amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The EU, G7 countries, and the US had earlier imposed wide-ranging economic sanctions aimed at limiting Russia’s abilit
     
  • ↗️
✇Euromaidan Press

US active-duty soldier offered M1A2 Abrams tank secrets to Russia in exchange for citizenship, DOJ says

Par :Yuri Zoria
7 août 2025 à 03:37

active-duty soldier offered abrams tank secrets russia exchange citizenship doj says m1 grafenwöhr training area germany 1986 file 105mm_cannon_on_an_m1_abrams_tank_1986 ukraine news ukrainian reports

A US active-duty soldier has been charged with federal crimes after allegedly trying to give Abrams tank secrets to Russia in exchange for citizenship. According to the US Justice Department, the soldier handed over technical data and attempted to export tank hardware to someone he believed represented the Russian government.

This comes amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The EU, G7 countries, and the US had earlier imposed wide-ranging economic sanctions aimed at limiting Russia’s ability to finance its war. In turn, Russia sees itself at war with the West and continues to carry out cyber and sabotage operations abroad, especially targeting EU countries.

DOJ: Soldier sought to help Russia with sensitive tank data

Taylor Adam Lee, 22, was arrested on 6 August 2025 in El Paso, Texas. The Justice Department said he attempted to transmit national defense information and export controlled military data without a license. Lee held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance and served at Fort Bliss.

“Lee allegedly violated his duty to protect the United States,” said the DOJ, claiming he tried to help Russia’s Ministry of Defense by sending data related to the M1A2 Abrams, “our Nation’s main battle tank.” Officials also said he offered assistance “to the Russian Federation” and delivered “a piece of hardware” from the tank.

DOJ said Lee passed an SD card during an in-person meeting in July, then messaged the contact, “Mission accomplished.” The card reportedly contained documents related to Abrams tank systems and combat operations. Several files were marked as Controlled Unclassified Information.

The FBI and Army Counterintelligence Command conducted the investigation. DOJ warned that “those who seek to undermine” US national security “will be brought to justice.”

“This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our US Army,” Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command, said in a statement.

Soldier believed Russia would give him asylum

CBS News reported that Lee allegedly wrote, “The USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” and that he would “volunteer to assist the Russian Federation when I’m there in any way.” DOJ noted that prosecutors accused Lee of trying to “swap the information for Russian citizenship.“

According to CBS News, the hardware was delivered to a storage unit in El Paso on 31 July, before the “Mission accomplished” message.

CBS also noted that the case follows the conviction of Jack Teixeira, the Air National Guardsman sentenced to 15 years for leaking classified documents online.

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. Become a patron or see other ways to support. 
❌