Topline
A 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard named Jack Teixeira appears to be behind a massive recent leak of secret documents describing plans for the war in Ukraine and other classified U.S. intelligence, according to multiple reports, after he allegedly shared the sensitive records with an online group primarily composed of teenagers who bonded over racist memes and video games.
A 21-year-old Massachusetts airman appears to be behind a leak of secret Ukraine war documents, … [+]
Key Facts
Teixeira works in the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, according to the New York Times, citing documents and interviews with members of the online group.
The Washington Post reported Teixeira has not been criminally charged, but NBC News says an arrest is expected imminently, citing law enforcement officials.
The Washington Post on Wednesday identified the leader of the group–Thug Shaker Central–as the person who leaked the documents, citing a member of the Discord group.
The Times reported margins on photographs of some of the leaked records matched pictures posted to social media of Teixeira’s childhood home.
It’s not clear if Teixeira has an attorney and he could not immediately be reached for comment.
What We Don’t Know
It’s not clear whether Teixeira may have leaked the documents outside of the group, which prompted wide circulation on social media. A member of Thug Shaker Central members told the Times the information was meant to inform the group and was not supposed to be shared beyond the small circle of 20-30 people, suggesting someone other than Teixeira may have posted the documents elsewhere.
Key Background
The leak has reportedly caused a furor inside the Pentagon, even as officials have suggested the information in the documents is either not critical or outdated, with President Joe Biden saying he doesn’t believe the documents contain anything “that is of great consequence” and an aide to to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling it nothing more than “dust in the eyes.” The records reportedly contained plans for U.S. and NATO forces helping Ukraine gear up for a counteroffensive against Russia, though not detailed battle strategies.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/04/13/21-year-old-airman-suspected-of-ukraine-war-documents-leak-reports-says/