US general leaves classified maps on Ukrainian train before going on major binge: report

A former U.S. Army general lost classified maps and suffered a concussion after drinking up to a liter of alcohol during a marathon dinner in Ukraine, according to an investigation of two separate incidents.

A 50-page report issued last week by the U.S. Department of Defense's inspector general found retired Maj. Gen. Antonio Aguto Jr., who was tasked at the time with overseeing military support for Ukraine, violated policy by mishandling classified maps while traveling on European trains chartered by the State Department, reported the Kyiv Independent.

The inspector general's report found Aguto left the classified materials in the hands of staffers in March 2024 instead of a diplomatic courier, as required, while en route to Kyiv. They were then left on a Ukrainian train, the report said.

Aguto had been leading the Germany-based Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U) at the time, and the maps were left on the train while the group was headed back to Germany.

The maps were returned a day later and Aguto took responsibility for their misplacement, but the inspector general also faulted the general for appearing to show signs of "progressive decline" during a May 14, 2024, meeting with then-Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink.

The inspector general's report showed Aguto's concerning behavior at the meeting was due to a concussion he suffered after a series of falls after drinking heavily the night before.

Aguto drank from two bottles of "chacha," a Georgian spirit, during a six-hour dinner, and the inspector general found that the restaurant's menu listed the drink in 500-milliliter bottles, suggesting that he may have consumed up to a liter of alcohol, which the report found was a violation of Defense Department policies on alcohol consumption during a military engagement.

The major general fell at least three times that night and suffered a moderate-to-severe concussion, possibly in each fall, according to the report.

Aguto gave up command of SAG-U in August 2024 shortly before retiring from the military, and the investigator general's report recommended that the Army secretary take unspecified "appropriate action" regarding his misconduct and referred the classified documents loss to the U.S. European Command Special Security Office.