Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has decided to remove retired Gen. Mark A. Milley’s security detail, suspend his security clearance, and order an inspector general inquiry into his behavior as the Pentagon’s top officer, senior defense officials said Tuesday, taking extraordinary action against a frequent target of President Donald Trump.

Pete Hegseth told Milley, a critic of Trump, that he had ordered an investigation to determine whether his rank should be re-evaluated.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday revoked the security detail and security clearance for Gen. Mark Milley, according to Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot, an unprecedented move against the former top US general who became a frequent target of President Donald Trump.

The retired four-star general is the latest former official targeted by the Trump administration.

Pete Hegseth is also reportedly considering demoting Mark Milley, with a review board set to analyze whether he took actions to "undermine the chain of command."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in an interview with FOX News host Will Cain said Gen. Mark Milley undermined President Trump's command in his first term and that will not be tolerated in this administration.

The portraits of former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were removed from the Pentagon after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revoked Milley’s personal security detail and security clearance.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered an investigation into retired general Mark Milley — who often clashed with President Trump — and determine whether he should be reduced in rank.

President Donald Trump failed in his first term to bend the Pentagon to his will, facing delays and defiance from a group of military leaders who were determined to uphold its reputation for staying out of politics.

Russia launched a barrage of drones on Ukraine in an overnight attack on Friday, injuring four people and damaging a hospital and a grain warehouse in the southern Odesa region, officials said. Ukraine's air defences shot down 59 of 102 Russian drones,

President Donald Trump has begun his second administration with a series of controversial moves and decisions.