Arrested US soldier awaiting hearing in Russia on theft charges
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military soldier arrested in Russia last week is being held in pretrial detention pending a hearing, the military said Tuesday.
Staff Sgt. Gordon Black flew to Russia to see his girlfriend, according to U.S. officials, and the military confirmed Tuesday that he did not request permission for the international trip and that it was not authorized by the Defense Department.
Pentagon policy requires military personnel to obtain clearance from a security manager or commander for any international travel, and that did not happen. The State Department strongly discourages American citizens from going to Russia, and given the war in Ukraine and ongoing threats to the US and its military, it is extremely unlikely that he would have been allowed.
Black was on leave and returning to his home base at Fort Cavazos, Texas, from South Korea, where he was stationed with the Eighth Army at Camp Humphreys. U.S. officials said Black, who is married, met his girlfriend in South Korea. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel details.
“Official and leave travel is currently restricted under the DoD Foreign Clearance Guide.” said Cynthia Smith, an Army spokeswoman, adding that “there is no evidence that Black intended to remain in Russia” after his leave expired.
Smith said Black enlisted in the Army in 2008 and deployed to Iraq from October 2009 to September 2010, and to Afghanistan from June 2013 to March 2014. He is an infantry soldier.
According to Smith, Black signed for his move home and “instead of returning to the continental United States, for personal reasons, Black flew from Incheon, Republic of Korea, via China to Vladivostok, Russia.”
According to U.S. officials, the Russian woman had been living in South Korea, and last fall she and Black became involved in some sort of domestic dispute or altercation. Then she left South Korea. It is not clear whether she was forced to leave and what role Korean authorities played in the case.
Smith said a Russian Interior Ministry official informed the U.S. Embassy in Moscow on Friday that Black was arrested Thursday in Vladivostok “for theft of personal property.” The embassy and the Eighth Army notified Black’s family of his arrest.
Russia is known to be holding a number of Americans in its prisons, including corporate security director Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The US government has classified both as unlawfully detained and has attempted to negotiate their release.
Others arrested include Travis Leake, a longtime Russia-based musician who was arrested last year on drug-related charges; Marc Fogel, a teacher in Moscow who was sentenced to 14 years in prison, also for drug abuse; and dual nationals Alsu Kurmasheva and Ksenia Khavana.
The arrest comes less than a year after US soldier Travis King sprinted into North Korea across the heavily fortified border between the Koreas. North Korea later announced it would expel King, who was sent back to the US. He was eventually charged with desertion.