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A US soldier detained in Russia on theft charges was visiting a woman he was romantically involved with, NBC News reported, citing four US officials.
Staff Sergeant Gordon Black stopped off in Vladivostok, Russia, on his way back to the US after finishing a deployment in South Korea, the officials told the outlet.
Black had traveled to Russia without prior approval from his superiors and is now in pretrial custody in Russia for allegedly stealing from a woman, the officials said, per the outlet.
The officials failed to identify the woman, or to specify whether she was the same one he was romantically linked with.
The US Army didn’t immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comments.
In a statement to NBC News, US Army spokesperson Cynthia O. Smith said Black was arrested on charges of criminal misconduct last Thursday, that the Army had notified his family, and that the State Department was providing appropriate consular support.
Smith declined to make further comments due to the “sensitivity” of the matter.
Several US officials told the Associated Press that Black was preparing to go home to Fort Cavazos in Texas from South Korea, but instead traveled to Russia to visit his “longtime” girlfriend.
The Russian woman, who previously lived in South Korea, got into an argument or fight with Black last fall and left the country, the officials told AP.
It’s not clear if she was compelled to leave and how involved the Korean authorities were, if at all, per AP.
Black did not inform his unit of his plans to go to Russia, the officials told the news agency.
The 34-year-old will be detained on charges of theft until July 2, according to Russian state-run news outlet RIA Novosti, which cited an official at a regional court.
The State Department has issued a level 4 travel advisory for Russia, with Americans warned not to travel to the country due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the potential for harassment, and the singling out of US citizens for detention by Russian security officials.
Black is not the only current or former US soldier to be detained in Russia.
Paul Whelan, a former US Marine, was convicted on espionage charges in 2018 and sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison.
US Marine veteran Trevor Reed was arrested in Moscow in 2019 after being convicted of drunkenly attacking Russian police officers during a visit to the country.
