Charges against US soldier of attempting to give tank data to Russia
(MENAFN) A U.S. Army soldier has been arrested for allegedly attempting to provide classified information about M1A2 Abrams tanks to Russia in exchange for citizenship, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday. The soldier, 22-year-old Taylor Adam Lee, was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, and held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance.
According to the DOJ, Lee is accused of trying to transmit national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempting to export restricted military data without proper authorization. In June, he reportedly sent sensitive technical details and weaknesses of the Abrams tank to individuals he believed were Russian officials. He allegedly expressed interest in aiding the Russian government, stating, “The USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses… At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian Federation when I’m there in any way.”
In July, Lee allegedly met with a person he thought was a representative of the Russian government and handed over an SD card containing sensitive data on the Abrams tank, another armored vehicle, and combat tactics. Prosecutors also claim he discussed supplying a specific internal component from the Abrams and later placed it in a storage unit in El Paso, sending a message that read “Mission accomplished” to a contact believed to be tied to Russia.
So far, Moscow has not responded to the allegations.
The U.S. had delivered 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in 2023, but many have reportedly been destroyed or proven vulnerable on the battlefield. These tanks were export models lacking the most advanced armor and targeting systems, making them less effective in Ukraine's current combat conditions. Russia has even displayed one captured Abrams tank at a public exhibition.
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