A US Army general overseeing military aid to Ukraine left classified maps on a train in Europe, according to a Pentagon watchdog report. Major General Antonio Aguto Jr was found to have improperly handled sensitive documents and suffered a concussion after an “overindulgence of alcohol” during separate incidents in 2024.
The Defense Department inspector general said Aguto, who led the Germany-based Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U), failed to follow protocol while transporting maps marked “SECRET” during a trip between Kyiv and Poland.
Instead of assigning the documents to a diplomatic courier, the report found he left them in the care of staff. The maps, stored in a cylindrical tube, were later misplaced and left on the train.
After the loss was reported, Ukrainian train security located the tube and arranged for it to be returned to the US Embassy in Kyiv the next day.
The report said, "Those documents were left on the train, unsecured, and later recovered by Ukrainian nationals." Aguto said there was no indication the information was compromised.
In a separate incident in May 2024, Aguto suffered a concussion after a night of drinking in Kyiv, as per CBS News. He attended a long dinner where he had too much alcohol to drink. He later told investigators he had been drinking “chacha.”
During the evening, an aide sent a message saying, "We are still going strong… I don't think he is going to check anything. Have it ready but he's too drunk."
After returning to his hotel, Aguto fell and hit his head. He fell two more times within the next 24 hours and showed signs of slowed response. Medical tests later confirmed he had a concussion.
The following day, he attended meetings with senior officials, including then US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, where he appeared to show a “progressive decline,” the report said.
While investigators did not conclude that he was intoxicated during official duties, they found he was unable to perform his role due to the concussion caused by the falls after an “overindulgence in alcohol.”
The inspector general concluded that Aguto violated Defense Department policies and recommended that the Secretary of the Army take “appropriate action.”
Aguto stepped down from his role in August 2024 and later retired.
