Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon's top military planner, was fired for leaking classified information regarding Ukraine and Iran to two reporters over a year. Sylvia admitted to the misconduct on video after failing four polygraph tests, according to an internal report. His unauthorized disclosures began in June 2025, continuing via secure Signal app and a meeting at a diner. At the diner, he orally conveyed insights from a classified report on US assistance to Ukraine to a reporter writing a book, without coordination with Public Affairs. Officials suspect Sylvia intentionally deleted Signal contacts with one reporter, claiming it was an accident. He also admitted to being a source for a story criticizing Pentagon leadership. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle's office allegedly lobbied for a statement supporting Sylvia, which was later retracted. This marks another instance of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's crackdown on leakers and the press. The Defense Department formed a joint task force with the Justice Department to identify leakers and prioritize prosecutions. Last year, restrictive Pentagon rules led several defense reporters to return their media passes.