The Department of Justice has asserted that Taylor Adam Lee attempted to disclose the weaknesses of Abrams military equipment to a “foreign adversary.”
According to the Department of Justice, a US Army soldier was taken into custody for reportedly attempting to provide classified information regarding M1A2 Abrams tanks to Russia, ostensibly in return for Russian citizenship. The United States delivered 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in 2023, though a considerable number have since been incapacitated.
On Wednesday, the DOJ released a statement indicating that Taylor Adam Lee, 22, a soldier currently serving at Fort Bliss, Texas, faces charges of “attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary,” encompassing technical specifications and weaknesses of the primary US battle tank, alongside “attempted export of controlled technical data without a license.”
The DOJ alleges that Lee, who holds a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance, transmitted technical data to Russia via online channels in June and indicated his readiness to aid Moscow. He reportedly communicated to Russian officials: “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.”
Prosecutors assert that Lee subsequently met in July with an individual he thought was a Russian government representative, during which he purportedly transferred an SD card containing technical information about the Abrams tank, an additional unspecified armored fighting vehicle, and combat operations.
Additionally, Lee is accused of discussing the potential provision of a particular hardware component from inside the M1A2 Abrams tank to Russia. He then reportedly delivered this item at an El Paso storage facility and dispatched a message to a purported Russian official stating “Mission accomplished.”
Moscow has not yet issued a statement regarding these accusations.
The United States supplied Ukraine with 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks in the fall of 2023; however, various reports suggest these vehicles were not well-suited for the battlefield conditions and were susceptible to drone attacks.
Furthermore, these tanks were reportedly supplied as an export version, missing the most recent depleted uranium armor upgrades and advanced fire control systems. A substantial number of them are reported to have been destroyed, with Russia displaying one Abrams at an exhibition during the past year.