The media was surprised by new revelations regarding the use of the Signal app by U
S. Secretary of Defense P. Gagset, who apparently shared defense and diplomatic information in the most informal and potentially dangerous manner. According to journalists and sources from the publication “European Truth,” citing materials from the reputable outlet The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. military leadership has learned about the extent of Gagset’s use of this messaging platform not only as a means of rapid information exchange but also as a platform for receiving and transmitting important official data, sometimes even with classified markings. According to the published information, Gagset maintains at least ten active chats on Signal, where he discussed some of the most serious issues related to defense, military operations, and international diplomacy. It is known that the minister did not hesitate to instruct his assistants to use this messenger for sending and receiving information to and from foreign governments regarding plans for military actions, posing a significant security risk. One case, according to sources, prompted particular concern within the official environment — when Gagset, in a private chat via Signal, informed foreign colleagues about a planned U.S. military offensive without considering the secrecy and confidentiality of such an operation. Moreover, he discussed a number of unofficial yet sensitive topics in this messaging app — from future media publications to foreign trips and private work schedules. The report emphasizes that Gagset created many such chats involving both his personal team members and relatives — including his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. It is important to note that messages to some of these chats were sent from both official and personal devices directly from the minister’s office using unsecured communication channels. A particularly alarming fact is that his military aide — Marine Colonel Riky Buriya — gained access to the minister’s private chats. According to sources, he was the one who, in March, posted in a Signal chat information about a suspected American attack on the Houthi in Yemen. Participants in this chat included individuals close to Gagset: his wife, brother, and a private lawyer. This raised serious questions about the level of secrecy and security of military data handled by the country’s top military official. It is also known that to read messages, Gagset and his team had to leave their Pentagon offices and find a place with mobile coverage, which in many cases meant long delays due to unstable phone signals within the building, complicating control over exactly what data was being shared. This created potential risks — information could have fallen into the hands of unscrupulous persons or become publicly accessible. The story of Signal’s use gained momentum at the end of April, when media reports emerged that Gagset, again via Signal, discussed details of the March attack on the Houthi. He allegedly did this in a group chat that also included his close relatives — his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. However, the Pentagon denied this information, emphasizing that data about such details has not been confirmed officially and that any disclosure in this context could pose a serious threat to national security. All this occurred amid extensive internal investigations into leaks of classified information, particularly related to military plans and strategic operations in various regions of the world. Specifically, there were leaks regarding data connected to the second U.S. Navy aircraft carrier’s trip to the Red Sea, plans for strikes in the Panama Canal, as well as visits by officials and high-ranking personnel, including Elon Musk. This triggered a wave of personnel changes and dismissals within defense and intelligence agencies. The process of cleansing the upper echelons of U.S. leadership intensified in early May, when President Donald Trump confirmed the dismissal of Michael Woltz — a National Security Advisor who, according to reports, was also involved in the leak of information related to the use of Signal. No official motives for this step were announced, but media widely discussed a major scandal dubbed “Signal Gate,” which cast a shadow over the administration’s credibility and strained relations between the president and the military. At the same time, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance commented on the situation, supporting Trump’s decision and reiterating that his resignation was not a punitive act but an effort to ensure stability in the security sphere. This story vividly highlights a modern problem — the growing role of informal digital communication channels in high-level politics and military affairs, their potential dangers, and the shortcomings of traditional secure information systems. The loss of control over private messages shared via messaging apps has already been recognized as one of the most serious security challenges at the level of national high strategic institutions.