Taylor Adam Lee sought to share the vulnerabilities of Abrams hardware with a “foreign adversary,” the Department of Justice has claimed
A US Army soldier has been arrested for allegedly trying to pass classified details about M1A2 Abrams tanks to Russia in exchange for citizenship, the Department of Justice has said. The US sent 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in 2023, although a significant number have been knocked out.
In a statement on Wednesday, the DOJ said Taylor Adam Lee, 22, an active-duty service member based in Fort Bliss, Texas, was charged with “attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary” – which included technical details and vulnerabilities of the main US battle tank – as well as “attempted export of controlled technical data without a license.”
The DOJ accused Lee, who has Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance, of sending Russia technical data online in June and expressing willingness to assist Moscow. He allegedly told 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 claim Lee then met in July with someone he believed to be a Russian government representative, during which he allegedly handed over an SD card containing technical data on the Abrams tank, another unidentified armored fighting vehicle, and combat operations.
Lee also allegedly discussed the possibility of providing Russia with a specific piece of hardware inside the M1A2 Abrams tank, later reportedly delivering it at a storage unit in El Paso and sending a message to an alleged Russian official that read “Mission accomplished.”
Moscow has yet to comment on the allegations.
The US provided Ukraine with 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks in the autumn of 2023, although multiple reports have indicated they were ill-suited for conditions on the ground and vulnerable to drones.
Moreover, the tanks were reportedly provided in an export variant lacking the latest upgraded depleted uranium armor and fire control systems. A significant portion of them have reportedly been destroyed, with Russia showcasing one Abrams at an exhibition last year.
