U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth dismissed Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, who headed the Office of Strategy, Planning, and Policy at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The general is suspected of leaking classified information to journalists, specifically regarding the russia-Ukraine war and the war with Iran.
The Associated Press reported this, citing its own sources.
Officially, the Pentagon has not explained why it decided to dismiss Sylvia, who served in the U.S. Army for 32 years. However, a Defense Department spokesperson told reporters that the general is under investigation for his involvement in the leaks of classified materials.
According to sources, investigators are looking into the possible disclosure to the media of information regarding military operations in Ukraine, a war with Iran, and other issues related to U.S. national security.
During the investigation, Sylvia underwent three polygraph tests. It is alleged that he failed all three.
Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Sean Parnell announced on social media that military leadership had made personnel decisions to protect classified information. He did not name the dismissed general.
Parnell also stated that the case files had been forwarded to the U.S. Department of Justice. The department will determine whether there are grounds for further criminal prosecution.
How Trump reacted to the General’s dismissal
U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the situation on Thursday, October 29, during a conversation with reporters.
When asked about Sylvia, the U.S. President mistakenly referred to the general as a woman and warned of possible consequences.
“She’s going to have big problems,” Trump said.
He also emphasized that U.S. authorities are trying to identify individuals who leak classified information to outsiders.
“We are very actively searching for those who are leaking information,” the President added.
Why the military command retracted the statement on Sylvia’s dismissal
Following the general’s dismissal, the Joint Chiefs of Staff initially issued a traditional statement thanking her for her service.
On the evening of Wednesday, October 28, when news of the resignation became public, a spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs thanked Sylvia for his 32-year military career and wished him success.
However, the very next day, the command retracted its statement.
The headquarters explained that they had reevaluated the circumstances of the resignation and concluded that the previous statement did not fully reflect the situation.
“After further review, we concluded that the statement did not fully reflect all the circumstances,” explained representatives of the command.
As a reminder, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously supported delaying the delivery of interceptor missiles for Ukraine’s Patriot systems, explaining that this was necessary primarily to ensure ammunition supplies for U.S. troops. At the same time, he assured that Washington’s position on Ukraine had not changed and wished the Ukrainians good luck.
© 2026 Ukrainian News Agency
If leaking was the issue dumbass kegsbreath should dismiss his own incompetent self!!!
Ever heard this song before/know who it is Mike?
I’m still trying to find out…
Leaking sensitive information to putlerstan is surely a contractual obligation for anyone working for Krasnov?