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The leak of classified Pentagon information, including that related to Ukraine, occurred in February 2022, shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, which is several months earlier than reported, and in a much larger chat group, according to the New York Times ( NYT), based on its own investigation.

The Air National Guard serviceman accused of leaking classified documents to the U.S. Department of Defense published classified information months earlier than was immediately reported, and in a much larger chat group than that of which was said to be “a small group of gamers”.

“In February 2022, shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, a user profile that matched that of airman Jack Teixeira began posting classified intelligence about Russian military activity in a chat group on Discord, a social media platform popular among gamers. The chat group had about 600 members,” the NYT reported on Saturday.

As the journalists note, “the second chat room was publicly available on the YouTube channel and was easily accessible within seconds.”

A chain of digital evidence compiled by the NYT links the posts containing sensitive information to Teixeira, who was stationed at an Air Force base in Massachusetts, and the posts were made under a username that reporters had previously associated with Airman Teixeira. Other details also match, says the NYT.

“The leaker said he worked for the US Air Force’s intelligence division. Details in the video and photos he posted matched images posted by family members at Teixeira’s home in North Dayton, Massachusetts. Discord members wished the user a happy birthday on December 21, the same day Teixeira’s sister wished him a happy birthday on Facebook,” the post said. There was even a photo of an antique German rifle for which the NYT found an online receipt in Teixeira’s name.

As the paper notes, the case against the 21-year-old military information technology specialist, who was arrested on April 13, relates to the leak of classified documents to another Discord group of about 50 members called Thug Shaker Central. As the correspondents of the newspaper were told, he started publishing confidential information in this group in October 2022. NYT reporters say it’s unclear whether authorities are aware of classified material posted in this additional Discord chat group.

Journalists note that the additional information raises questions about why authorities did not discover the leak sooner, especially since hundreds of people could have seen the posts.

According to the NYT, the information posted in the large chat group included details about Russian and Ukrainian casualties, the activities of Moscow’s intelligence services and an update on aid being provided to Ukraine. As the journalists add, the user who published these papers claimed to be publishing information from the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency and other special services.

The release of these documents has sparked criticism both within the United States and around the world about how America’s secret services protect their classified data. Questions have been raised about how people who are given access to classified data are vetted, and whether agencies are following the rule that only people with a need to know have access to information.

As Voice of America reported, the president Joe Biden urged federal agencies to step up security measures after a major leak of classified US documents.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered a “review of our procedures for access to intelligence, accountability and oversight within the department” to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

As reported by the Voice of America, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said that Teixeira is accused of unauthorized removal, storage and dissemination of classified information related to US national defense. These violations are punishable by up to 15 years in prison, Teixeira was told in court.