October 30, 2026
An internal investigation conducted at the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, revealed new details behind the dismissal of the chief military planner, Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, after it was proven that he was involved in leaking confidential information related to Ukraine and Iran to two journalists working for two different media outlets, in a case that spanned an entire year.
According to a copy of the investigation obtained by the Axios news site, Sylvia – the former commander of the 101st Airborne Division and a long-time military service member – admitted to leaking this unauthorized information via a video recording, which came after he failed four polygraph tests.
This week, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a decision to dismiss Sylvia from his position without previously announcing the reasons for the decision. In the same context, the sacked officer cooperated with the investigators by answering questions related to his dealings with the media, and handing over his personal phone for technical examination, after submitting 4 repeated sessions of the polygraph.
The report and American officials indicated that the leaking operations began in June 2025, just before the major media outlets were restricted from accessing the Pentagon headquarters, and continued later through the encrypted messaging application “Signal,” in addition to holding a meeting with a media outlet inside a restaurant in Virginia.
Lieutenant General Sylvia is the latest in a long line of senior officers who have been removed from their positions since Hegseth took office at the Pentagon about two years ago. So far, the Ministry has not announced the name of the replacement who will assume Sylvia’s duties or responsibilities during the next stage.
