PFC Jack Teixeira, 21, a 21-year-old US Air Force member of the Massachusetts National Guard, accused of leaking confidential Pentagon information online, leaked classified documents shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of last year, The New York Times ( NYT) reported on the 21st (local time).
The NYT said it confirmed that shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a Discord user with the same identity as Teixeira posted confidential information to a chat group of about 600 people.
Previously, it was reported that Teixeira posted confidential information to a Discord chat group of about 50 people in October of last year, but it is said that he started leaking confidential information to a chat group with more people at a much earlier time.
Confidential information leaked by the suspect in February last year reportedly included details about casualties in Russia and Ukraine, activities of Moscow’s intelligence services and aid being provided to Ukraine.
The New York Times reported that the first leak appears to have occurred less than 48 hours after Russia invaded Ukraine.
In the post, the user claimed that he was posting information from the US National Security Agency or the Central Intelligence Agency, saying, “I saw a document from the US Department of Defense stating that a third of the troops were mobilized in the invasion.”
In addition, this user claimed on March 27 last year that “Russia may withdraw its troops west of Kiiu according to plan.” Two days later, as the user claimed, Russian troops withdrew from Kiiu.
Some posts also included information on the number of casualties. Users also updated on Ukraine’s priorities and the activities of Russian intelligence agencies. It also paid attention to posting up-to-date information on countries providing lethal assistance to Ukraine.
In addition, the circumstances that seemed to have been posted at the military base where he served were also captured. He even offered to share information with members residing outside the United States. “Send me a DM and I can tell you what information I have,” he wrote.
He boasted to a chat group in September of last year, “I usually work with people from the UK’s Information and Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) when I research foreign countries.”
He shared more confidential information in a chat group as recently as a month ago. On the 19th of last month, he abruptly stopped his update, saying, “Over the past year, I was happy to be able to cover this case and share it with many people.”
In this regard, the US National Security Agency, the Department of Justice, and the British Embassy declined requests for comment, the NYT reported.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.