The 21-year-old national guard of the Air Force is facing serious charges, which will lead him to prison for many years Jack Teixeira on the leak of classified Pentagon documents. Teixeira was arrested in North Dayton, Massachusetts on Thursday.

As reported by the BBC, the US Department of Justice released the documents with the charges, which relate to the unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and the unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or related material.

The 21-year-old was told in a Boston court that he faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of both charges.

Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, is being held and has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said.

The Pentagon stressed that his actions constitute a “very serious” risk to national security. The 21-year-old military, cyber expert is suspected of leaking sensitive government documents marked “Top Secret,” “Secret” and “Confidential” that could harm U.S. national security. The Pentagon estimates that the leak was intentional criminal action.

Teixeira, who made his first court appearance Friday in Boston, is a member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

The 21-year-old, wearing handcuffs and a khaki prison jumpsuit, heard accusations shortly after 10am local time, while his father, who was at the scene, shouted “I love you, Jack!”. He replied, “I love you too dad.”

After that, Teixeira spoke on only two more occasions, responding with a simple “yes” when asked if he understood his constitutional right not to speak.

The president of the USA Joe Biden has ordered US intelligence agencies to take steps to “further secure” classified information, he said in a statement today, as the leak of classified documents has dogged Washington for a week.

What do classified documents contain?

The classified US documents, leaked online, state detailing Washington’s views on the war in Ukraine and miscellaneous information on close allies of the United States.

The Pentagon believes that the disclosure of these confidential documents constitutes “very serious risk” for US national security and the Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into the matter.

The authenticity of the photos, which are circulating on various websites, has not yet been publicly confirmed by the authorities, nor has it been verified by other sources.

Follows a summary of the content of some of these documents:

Account of the war in Ukraine

One of the documents takes stock of the war in Ukraine until March 1, 2023, a year after the fighting began. Based on estimates by the Intelligence Service of the US Department of Defense, Russian losses reach 189,500-223,000 men – of these 35,500-43,000 were killed in battle and 154,000-180,000 were wounded.

On the Ukrainian side, the dead are estimated to be between 15,500-17,500 and the wounded 109,000-113,500.

These numbers are almost ten times higher than any tally Russia and Ukraine have announced to date.

Moscow has reportedly lost more than 150 aircraft and helicopters, compared to 90 for Kiev.

Another “version” of the document, apparently redacted, instead states that Ukrainian casualties are greater than Russian ones, which appears to confirm Pentagon fears that the leak could potentially fuel disinformation.

Lack of anti-aircraft missiles

Two documents dated February 28 are mentioned to the alarming state of Ukrainian air defensewhich until now has played a crucial role in fending off Russian strikes, preventing Moscow from taking control of the airspace.

Kiev’s ability to maintain medium-range air defenses to protect its front line “will be zeroed out by May 23,” one of the documents said.

Almost 90% of Ukraine’s medium- and long-range air defenses are essentially based on the Soviet-made SA-11 and SA-10 systems, which may run out of ammunition in late March and early May respectively.

Drone strikes in Russia under review

According to an undated document, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his frustration to his now-highest-ranking general because the Ukrainian military lacks long-range missiles that could hit enemy forces directly on Russian soil. He is reported to have suggested, in late February, that such drone strikes be carried out.

This information seems to suggest that Washington was monitoring a close partner. They may also partly explain US reticence about Kiev’s request to send longer-range weapons. However, American reluctance predates Zelensky’s conversation with his general.

Demonstrations in Israel

Another document, also undated, states that its leadership Mossad, of Israel’s intelligence agency, encouraged both service members and ordinary citizens to protest against the controversial reform of the judicial system in Israel.

The source of this information – the interception of electronic communications – appears to indicate that US agencies were spying on an allied country.

Concern over South Korean munitions

South Korea’s National Security Council was concerned that the US would transfer to Kiev some munitions it had requested from Seoul. Doing so would run counter to South Korea’s expressed will not to hand over lethal weapons to Ukraine, according to a document citing a March 1 conversation between two South Korean officials.

This revelation also seems to suggest that Washington was spying on a close ally. South Korea’s opposition today called for an investigation, but President Yun Suk-yeol’s office responded that the wiretapping allegations were “absurd lies.”

Reconnaissance flights in the Black Sea

A document dated February 27 is referred to in reconnaissance flights in the Black Sea by aircraftthe (manned and unmanned) of the USA, Britain, France and other NATO member countries, from the end of September to the end of February.

About two weeks after this was written, Washington accused the Russian military of intercepting a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in the Black Sea, which Moscow denied.