An American soldier was detained in Russia last week on suspicion of theft and is currently being held in pre-trial detention, according to two US officials.
The soldier, a staff sergeant, was arrested on May 2 by Russian authorities, the officials said. He was stationed in South Korea and traveled to Russia of his own volition, they said.
An Army spokesperson confirmed on Monday that the soldier was detained by Russian authorities in Vladivostok “on charges of criminal misconduct.”
“The Russian Federation notified the U.S. Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” said spokesperson Cynthia Smith. “The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the Soldier in Russia. Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.”
The US Embassy in Moscow is seeking consular access to the soldier and has informed his family of his detention, the officials said.
There are a number of Americans being held in Russia, including two who have been declared as wrongfully detained by the US State Department – Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan.
Last July, another soldier stationed in South Korea willingly crossed into North Korea where he was immediately detained. Pvt. Travis King had been on a border tour of a civilian area when he ran across the Joint Security Area (JSA) and into North Korea.
King was supposed to have boarded a flight back to the United States to face disciplinary procedures. But after Army escorts released him at a security checkpoint at Incheon International Airport near Seoul, King left the airport on his own.
It took weeks of secretive and intense diplomacy involving multiple countries to secure King’s release in September. He was charged with desertion in October.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
