The U.S. Army confirmed on Monday that a soldier has been detained in Russia on charges of criminal misconduct, marking the latest in a series of high-profile detentions of Americans abroad.
The soldier, based in South Korea, allegedly stole from a woman, although details of the incident remain undisclosed due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Moscow notified the U.S. State Department of the soldier’s detention, adhering to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
According to reports the soldier’s arrest was first reported by NBC News. However, the Russian embassy in Washington has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.
Russian daily Izvestia cited an unnamed source, claiming that the soldier, a sergeant, met a woman from Vladivostok online and lived with her for a period. Allegedly, he physically assaulted her and stole 200,000 roubles (approximately $2,200) from her.
This detention comes amidst ongoing efforts by the Biden administration to secure the release of multiple Americans held in Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Gershkovich, arrested by the Federal Security Service (FSB) in March last year on spying charges, denies any involvement in espionage.
Paul Whelan, convicted of spying in 2020, has been designated by the U.S. State Department as “wrongfully detained.”
Responding to inquiries about the soldier’s detention, a U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed only that “a U.S. citizen has been detained in Russia.”
The spokesperson reiterated warnings about the risks faced by U.S. citizens in Russia and urged those in the country to depart immediately, as stated in the Travel Advisory for Russia. Due to privacy concerns, further details about the soldier’s situation were not provided at this time.
