According to NBC News, the soldier traveled to Russia alone and was not on official business.
Washington:
A U.S. soldier was arrested in Russia last week on charges of “criminal misconduct,” the U.S. military said Monday.
The soldier – who was not named – adds to the number of Americans detained in the country amid deep tensions with Washington over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“On May 2, 2024, Russian authorities arrested a U.S. soldier in Vladivostok, Russia, on charges of criminal misconduct,” U.S. Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said.
Russia has notified the U.S. State Department, which is “providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia,” and the military has notified his family, Smith said.
“Given the sensitivity of this issue, we cannot provide additional details at this time,” she added.
When asked earlier about reports of a soldier’s detention in Russia, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: “We are aware of this matter.”
NBC News said the soldier had traveled to Russia alone and was not on official business.
The soldier, a staff sergeant, was arrested on suspicion of theft and is currently in pre-trial detention, CNN reports.
Several other Americans are being held in Russia, including Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was arrested on espionage charges over a year ago.
He, his employer and the U.S. government all reject the charges against Gershkovich.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
