A U.S. National Guardsman who leaked classified information about the war in Ukraine has been sentenced.

This is reported by Associated Press.

Teixeira received his sentence for actions that jeopardized the national security of the country, endangered other service members, and harmed U.S. relations with its allies.

The defendant showed little emotion, although he stated that he regrets what he did: “I understand that all responsibility and consequences rest solely on my shoulders, and I accept everything that this brings”.

Special Agent Jodi Cohen from the Boston office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation stated that Teixeira “was one of the most prolific distributors of classified information in American history.”

“This former National Guard member grossly betrayed our country and the oath he took to protect its secrets, all to satisfy his ego and impress his friends,” she said.

Back in March, Teixeira pleaded guilty to all six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information and agreed to a 16-year prison sentence.

The Case of the 'Leaked' Documents

Last year, secret military documents appeared on Twitter and Telegram detailing U.S. and NATO plans to assist the Ukrainian army ahead of a counteroffensive. They outlined American and Ukrainian views as of March 1 regarding what the Armed Forces of Ukraine might need for this campaign. However, there was no information about the timing and location of the counteroffensive.

Analysts noted that some documents may have been altered. In particular, one slide states that the occupiers lost 16,000 to 17,500 soldiers, while Ukraine allegedly lost 71,500. However, the Pentagon and other analysts claimed that Russia's losses are around 200,000 killed and wounded.

Later, journalists from the New York Times reported on a new batch of secret documents that supposedly reveal American security secrets regarding Ukraine, the Middle East, and China. The journalists found that a user on the Discord platform may be involved in the leak. On the same day, the FBI arrested National Guardsman Jake Teixeira, who is suspected of the "leak."

The then-Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksii Reznikov, stated that the released documents are a mix of true and false information. However, he noted that even the true data is no longer relevant.