A U.S. Army sergeant stationed in Korea has been detained in Russia, accused of stealing from a woman, two Pentagon officials said Monday. The sergeant was arrested on May 2 in Vladivostock. It is unclear how he got there but he was in the process of changing duty stations from Korea back to Fort Cavazos (Ft. Hood) in the U.S. He was not there on official travel.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the U.S. is "aware of this case and other matters related to Russia," but he said he couldn't "say much about it right now." NBC News
The U.S. has long been trying to secure the release of two other Americans who it considers to be wrongfully detained in Russia.
Paul Whelan, a former Marine, has been imprisoned in Russia since 2018 on espionage, which the U.S. and his family have said are sham charges. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020.
Russia recently declined a "significant" proposal for the release of detained Americans, as confirmed by the State Department in December.
For several months now, the U.S. government has been advising against travel to Russia, cautioning American citizens about the risks involved. Furthermore, U.S. residents in Russia have been strongly encouraged to leave the country as soon as possible. The latest travel advisory issued in September highlighted the possibility of Americans being targeted for detention by Russian security forces, with limited assistance available from the U.S. Embassy in Russia.
This story is still developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
