The US government is investigating the role of a multi-platform social media persona known as the “Donbass Devushka,” and the role of a US Navy veteran in operating it, as it pursues the prosecution of a man for allegedly leaking sensitive military documents.
“Donbass Devushka”, which roughly translates to “young Donbass woman,” hosts generally pro-Russia content across a variety of platforms, including a now-private Twitter account, a prolific YouTube platform, and others.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that the account and those who operate it are under investigation, including a 37-year-old US Navy veteran living in Washington state. The investigation stems from the arrest of a 21-year-old who is accused of leaking a massive trove of classified documents, including military assessments of the war in Ukraine as well as intelligence regarding Chinese spy balloons that appeared over the United States this year.
That veteran is Sarah Bils, originally from New Jersey, who confirmed in an interview with the Journal that she was an administrator of the account while claiming that more than a dozen others in various countries were as well.
“I obviously know the gravity of top-secret classified materials. We didn’t leak them,” she said.
Meanwhile, a US official connected to the matter told the newspaper that Ms Bils is under federal investigation as a result of the matter. She herself was reportedly discharged from the US military last year after what the Journal reported was a “significant demotion” in rank.
“She is actively under federal investigation, but the circumstances of the content of the investigation are unclear at this time,” they said.
Mr Texiera, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, apparently had access to the documents as part of the Guard’s work to support the broader intelligence efforts of the US Air Force, according to revealing comments from officials.
"In general, intelligence wings throughout the Air Force support what you might imagine — Air Force intelligence requirements worldwide to support a variety of types of intelligence missions and requirements, which include active guard and reserve components,” Air Force Brig. Gen Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said last Thursday at a briefing.
He was taken into custody “without incident” last Thursday by US authorities, according to the Justice Department.
"The FBI is continuing to conduct authorized law enforcement activity at the residence," said the FBI field office in Boston in a statement. "Since late last week the FBI has aggressively pursued investigative leads, and today’s arrest exemplifies our continued commitment to identifying, pursuing, and holding accountable those who betray our country’s trust and put our national security at risk."
