American soldier, arrested on the accusation of espionage in favor of Moscow. Is accused of trying to share sensitive data Russia
American soldiers at common military exercises, photo: Vano Shlamov / AFP / Profimedia
An American soldier in the active service was arrested and charged with offenses related to espionage after trying to share sensitive information on Abrams with Russia, the Department of Justice, quoted by Kyiv Independent, announced on Wednesday.
Taylor Adam Lee, 22, from El Paso, Texas, is accused of sending technical information about the M1A2 Abrams tank to a person who knew he is a Russian secret services officer, in exchange for Russian citizenship.
Lee, who holds a authorization to access strictly secret information within the American army, wrote on social networks that he was willing to “volunteer to help the Russian Federation in any possible way, once there.”
Prosecutors claim that Lee delivered a tank hardware piece to a Texas warehouse, concluding the action by sending the message “met mission” to the person who believed by Russian Secret Services. In a separate meeting, in July, Lee provided the person with a SD card containing documents with controlled technical data about the tank, another armored fighting vehicle and combating operations, according to the justice department.
A version of the Abrams tank manufactured in the US is currently used on the Ukraine's battlefield, which is why information provided by Lee could serve a wider purpose for Russian intelligence services.
In a statement of the Department of Justice, the general commander of the army counter-information command, brigadier general Sean Stinchon, said that the arrest is “an alarming signal of the serious threat faced by the US Army.”
Lee was accused of crimes under the law on espionage, as well as the attempt to export controlled technical data. CNN reported, citing judicial documents, that prosecutors have requested that the accused be detained without bail.
Since the beginning of the wide -scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, different Western countries have arrested citizens for secret espionage activities related to the Ukraine war. Moscow has expanded its espionage activities mainly among European nations, trying to disrupt aid deliveries to Ukraine.
