A Retired Officer's Risky Online Romance

A former Army lieutenant colonel, David Slater, has admitted to sharing top-secret details about Russia's actions in Ukraine with someone he met on a foreign dating site. At 64, Slater had a long career in the military and later worked as a civilian at the U. S. Strategic Command. Despite his experience, he allegedly shared sensitive information with an unknown person who claimed to be a woman from Ukraine. Slater pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to share classified information. In exchange, two other charges were dropped. He could face between five years and ten months to seven years and three months in prison. The judge will decide his final sentence in October. Slater had access to highly classified information about the Russia-Ukraine war. He attended top-secret briefings and knew the risks of sharing such details. Yet, he allegedly sent classified information through the dating site's messaging platform. The information included details about military targets and Russian military capabilities. The person Slater communicated with asked for classified information regularly. She called him "my secret informant love! " and "my secret agent. " However, it's unclear who this person was or which country they might have been working for. Slater retired from the Army in 2020 and worked in a classified role until April 2022. He was arrested in March 2024. His case highlights the dangers of sharing sensitive information, especially with strangers online.