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Who is Gordon D. Black? US soldier detained in Russia on charges of stealing
Staff Sgt. Gordon D. Black was reportedly arrested on May 2 in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok
A US soldier has been arrested and is being held in Russia on charges of stealing, US officials have confirmed. Staff Sgt. Gordon D. Black was reportedly arrested on May 2 in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok. This is located near Russia’s borders with North Korea and China.
Who is Gordon D. Black?
Black is said to have travelled to Russia not on official business but on his own account. NBC News reported that he had been stationed in South Korea. He was in the process of changing duty stations back to Fort Cavazos in Texas.
It was reported that Black travelled to Russia without permission from his superiors. He is now being held in pretrial confinement. His mother Melody Jones claimed he was in Russia to visit his girlfriend. “Please do not torture or hurt him,” she pleaded.
US Army officials told The Mirror, "On May, 2, 2024, Russian authorities in Vladivostok, Russia, detained an American Soldier 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. The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the Soldier in Russia."
They added, "Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.”
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby has confirmed that the Biden administration is aware of the incident. “I can’t really say much about this right now,” Kirby told reporters during a White House briefing.
Other similar cases
This incident comes a month after American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was charged with espionage. He was arrested in March 2023 and is being detained in Russia.
Back in 2018, Paul Whelan was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being accused of lying by the Russian state. The US government and his family have dismissed the claims.
WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia after being accused of carrying a cannabis oil cartridge in her luggage. Ksenia Karelina, a former ballerina, was arrested while going to Russia from Los Angeles for allegedly having given $51 to a charity that helps Ukraine.
