Former Navy NCO under investigation in connection to classified docs leak

This photo illustration created on April 13, 2023 in Washington, DC, shows the Discord logo reflected in a screengrab of the suspect, national guardsman Jack Teixeira, being taken into custody by FBI agents in a forested area in North Dighton, in the northeastern state of Massachusetts. – FBI agents arrested a young national guardsman suspected of being behind a major leak of sensitive US government secrets — including about the Ukraine war. US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the arrest made “in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information.” (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Geraldyn Berry
UPDATED 2:02 PM – Monday, April 17, 2023

According to reports, the Justice Department is looking into a former non-commissioned officer of the Navy for her part in the dissemination of recently released sensitive information online.

The Russian propagandist “Donbass Devushka” here on Twitter turned out not to be Russian at all
37-year-old Sarah Bils served at the U.S. naval air station on Whidbey Island until late last year, while glorifying the Russian military and cooperating with the Wagner Group

Busted pic.twitter.com/YzL75QOogB
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) April 16, 2023

The North Atlantic Fella Organisation (NAFO), an open source intelligence organization that specializes in exposing Russian disinformation, has identified Bils as one of the personalities behind the Donbass Devushka social media account.

The pro-Russian “Donbass Devushka” social media account that helped the classified documents first leaked by Massachusetts Air Guardsman Jack Teixeira reach a larger audience is allegedly run by Sarah Bils, a 37-year-old former aviation electronics technician (2nd Class) in the U.S. Navy.

The main image of the “For Fun” section of Donbass Devushka merchandise. The Discord group where the classified files were leaked was called “Bears versus Pigs,” in line with Russian memes depicting Ukrainians as hapless pigs being slaughtered by the mighty Russian bear. pic.twitter.com/2WEYpIxvra
— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) April 16, 2023

A group of well-known social media personas known as “Donbass Devushka”, or Donbas Girl, promoted a pro-Kremlin viewpoint for an English-speaking audience on Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube. Despite claiming to be a single Russian blogger, several administrators, including Bils, managed the accounts.

Before being discovered by the Donbass Devushka social media account, which has a far bigger following than the invite-only Discord channel that was managed by the Massachusetts Guardsman, classified materials purportedly sent to the internet by Teixeira had gone largely unreported.

After that, the data was accessed by a number of significant Russian social media accounts, which prompted the Pentagon to look into the leaks.

Before leaving the service in the latter part of last year, Bils last served at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. During her stint in the military, she was promoted to the rank of E-7, or chief petty officer, but she was discharged as an E-5. The reason behind the ex-sailor’s demotion is unknown.

Bils currently resides in Washington State but was born in New Jersey. In 2009, she enlisted in the Navy. In 2011, she reported to Fleet Readiness Center Northwest on Whidbey Island after completing “A” school at the Naval Aviation Technical Training Center in Pensacola, Florida.

According to USNI News, she had received four Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

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