A US soldier has been arrested in Russia and charged with theft, two US officials said.
Officials said Sergeant Gordon Black, 34, was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning to Fort Cavazos, Texas, in the United States. But instead of returning home, officials said he traveled to Russia.
US officials spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.
Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith confirmed that a soldier had been arrested on criminal charges Thursday in Vladivostok, an important military and commercial port city on the Pacific coast. She said Russia notified the United States and the US military notified the soldier’s family.
“The US State Department is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia,” Ms Smith said.
It was not clear Monday whether the soldier is considered furloughed or furloughed.
The arrest comes less than a year after US soldier Travis King crossed into North Korea through the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas. North Korea later announced it would deport Mr. King and handed him over to American authorities. He was subsequently charged with desertion.
Russia is known for holding in its prisons several Americans, among others the head of private security companies, Paul Whelan and the journalist of the newspaper “The Wall Street Journal”, Evan Gershkovich. The US government has designated the two as “unjustly held” and has attempted to negotiate their release.
Other detainees include Travis Leake, a musician who lived in Russia for years and was arrested last year on drug-related charges; Marc Fogel, a teacher in Moscow sentenced to 14 years in prison, also on drug charges; as well as two women with dual American and Russian citizenship, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and Ksenia Khavana.
The arrest of the American soldier was first reported by the NBC News television channel.
