US soldier allegedly tried to share classified tank data with Russia

A US Army soldier was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly seeking to pass sensitive information about American battle tanks to the Russian government, according to the US Justice Department.

Taylor Adam Lee, 22, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas, is facing two federal charges accusing him of attempting to transmit national defence information and export controlled technical data without a licence, according to court documents.

“Today’s arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the US – especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect Americans and safeguard classified information,” Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division said in a statement.

Lee has not yet entered a plea on the charges, which were filed in US District Court for the Western District of Texas. Attorney information for Lee was not immediately available.

Prosecutors accused Lee, who holds a top-secret security clearance, of attempting to share information on the operation and vulnerabilities of the M1A2 Abrams, the main US battle tank, with the Russian government in exchange for Russian citizenship.

Last month, Lee shared an SD card that contained documents and information about the tank and other US military operations with someone he believed to be a Russian intelligence officer. The documents contained technical data Lee was not authorised to provide and some were marked “Controlled Unclassified Information,” according to prosecutors.

“Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment,” said Brigadier General Sean Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command.

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