Military General Loses Classified Map in Europe
WASHINGTON — A troubling incident occurred involving a US Army general responsible for delivering military support to Ukraine. Reports indicate that Major General Antonio Agut misplaced a classified map while traveling by train across Europe in the spring of 2024.
Agut, who led the Ukraine Security Assistance Group based in Germany from December 2022 until August 2024, reportedly handed over the map to his team after returning from a trip to Ukraine.
On April 4, while in Poland, Agut’s unit left the map on a train, leading to a brief panic. Fortunately, the documents were retrieved the following day when the train came back to Kiev.
In a report to the Army’s Office of the Inspector General, Agut stated, “It’s my job to create these maps frequently, wherever I am, to explain to officials what’s happening in Ukraine.”
Investigators later discovered that the map had been poorly packed in an unsecured tube, made necessary because “the map was too large to wrap and the map tube was too small.”
Additionally, Agut was found to have violated a directive issued in July 2022 by then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, which limited the transportation of classified materials solely to diplomats.
Brink admitted to Pentagon investigators that Agut “must follow our security regulations, including certain handling methods for classified material.”
One unnamed military official suggested that Agut “should have arranged for a courier,” either through official channels or the embassy team.
While Agut acknowledged leaving the map behind, he added that his staff often restricts personal items like bags, let alone something like a map holder.
There’s more—Agut reportedly appeared intoxicated during a meeting with then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken on May 14, 2024.
According to reports, the night before, Agut had consumed Chacha, an Eastern European brandy with high alcohol content, during a dinner with Ukrainian military officers.
In his defense, Agut explained, “As a rule, dinner begins with an alcoholic beverage and then continues drinking throughout the night or during the meal.”
He admitted to being “somewhat inebriated,” with one witness estimating that he consumed “about two bottles of Cha Cha throughout the night.”
After returning to his hotel room, he fell at least twice, hitting his head. Upon arriving for a meeting the following morning, witnesses commented that he “looked very lethargic” and had trouble maintaining his balance.
Difficulties continued for Agut during a visit to the U.S. Embassy, where he fell again and injured his elbow and jaw.
During the meeting with Blinken, he exhibited signs of “cognitive decline” and was later diagnosed with a concussion.
Agut eventually retired from the military following his command of the Security Assistance Group.
