The U.S. Air Force employee was detained March 2 at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, accused of disclosing classified information about the Russian invasion of Ukraine through an online dating platform from approximately February to April 2022.
This was reported by the US Department of Justice.
According to him, 63-year-old David Slater worked in the strategic command of the US armed forces and had access to state secrets from August 2021 to April 2022. Before that, he served in the American Army and retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
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The indictment states that Slater attended strategic command briefings regarding the Russian war against Ukraine.
He transferred the secret information he received through an online dating service to his accomplice, who posed as a woman living in Ukraine.
— The co-conspirator regularly asked Slater to provide her with confidential, non-public, classified and classified information and referred to Slater in her messages as “favorite secret informant” and “secret agent”, — the Ministry of Justice said in a statement.
According to him, in response to the request, Slater did indeed transmit secret intelligence information, in particular about military facilities and Russian military potential related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Slater's first court hearing will take place today, March 5th. If proven guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250 thousand for each count of conspiracy to transmit information constituting state secrets.
