The Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General (IG) reported that Maj. Gen. Antonio Aguto, the U.S. Army general who led the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine from 2022 to August 2024, left classified maps on a train in Europe while returning from Ukraine to Germany on April 3, 2024. The maps, stored in a cylindrical tube rather than in secure double-wrapped packaging or a locked container, were discovered missing when the train arrived in Poland the next morning.
The classified documents were found about 24 hours later by a Ukrainian train attendant and returned to the U.S. Embassy. Although Aguto was not the official custodian of the materials moving on and off the train, he accepted responsibility for their temporary loss.
Incident Involving Alcohol Overuse and Injury
The IG report also detailed an incident on May 13, 2024, when Aguto consumed two 500 ml bottles of Chacha, a Georgian brandy with 40-50% alcohol content, during a military event in Ukraine. That night, he fell in his hotel room, sustaining a concussion, followed by another fall the next morning while en route to a meeting with then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, and Ukrainian military leaders.
Witnesses described Aguto as “disheveled,” “out of it,” and showing signs of cognitive impairment, including slurred speech and confusion. The U.S. Ambassador expressed concern that Aguto might have been drugged, though the IG concluded the falls resulted from overindulgence in alcohol. Aguto was subsequently diagnosed with a moderate to severe concussion.
Impact on High-Level Diplomatic Meeting
During the May 14 meeting, Aguto’s impaired state was noted by multiple attendees. He appeared bloodshot-eyed with visible injuries and repeatedly asked the same questions, which raised concerns about his ability to effectively participate. Despite these conditions, he attended the meeting with Secretary Blinken and Ukrainian officials.
Efforts to contact Aguto for further comment were not immediately successful.
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