An American soldier is being held in custody in Russia after he was arrested last week on charges of criminal misconduct, U.S. Army officials revealed Monday.
Authorities detained the soldier — who has not been identified — on May 2 while he was in the Russian city of Vladivostok, a major Pacific port city near the border with China and North Korea.
The Russian Federation notified the State Department, which is providing the soldier with “appropriate consular support.” Army officials said the family has been notified, but U.S. officials did not say why he was in Russia at the time.
“Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time,” Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith said in a statement.
NBC News reported that the soldier had been stationed in South Korea and traveled to Russia on his own. He was not there on official business and was accused of stealing from a woman.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, Texas Republican, said he was “deeply concerned” by the reports, writing on social media the incident was a “warning to all Americans — as the State Department has said, it is not safe to travel to Russia.”
The incident comes almost a year after U.S. Army Pvt. Travis King crossed over into North Korea while on a civilian tour of the Korean Demilitarized Zone. He was facing a dishonorable discharge on a variety of charges when he fled to North Korea on July 18, 2023. He was released back to U.S. authorities in September of that year.
