US veteran jailed for leaking secrets to fake ‘Ukrainian woman’

A U.S. court sentenced retired Army lieutenant colonel David Slater, 64, to 70 months in prison for disclosing classified defense information to someone posing as a Ukrainian woman, Courthouse News Service reported.

Slater, who served nearly 40 years in the military, began communicating with the supposed woman via a dating site and messengers in early 2022. Prosecutors said he passed details about U.S. and NATO operations, military targets, and Russian capabilities while working as a civilian at U.S. Strategic Command in Nebraska.

In July, Slater pleaded guilty to one conspiracy count of disclosing national defense information. The court imposed the minimum sentence under federal law, plus a year of supervised release and a $25,000 fine. His defense cited PTSD, health problems and cognitive issues, but the judge rejected calls for leniency.