May 16, 2024 7:15 a.m. ET
Russian state media reported that a US soldier detained in Russia “admitted his guilt.”
From CNN’s Radina Zhigova and the Moscow team
Gordon Black, a US soldier arrested on suspicion of theft in Russia, has “admitted guilt” and is cooperating with investigators, Russian state news agency TASS reported Thursday, citing law enforcement. It is said that there is.
“The defendant has admitted his guilt and is cooperating with the investigation, which was conducted in English through an interpreter,” a law enforcement representative told TASS news agency.
Staff Sergeant Gordon Black was arrested on May 2 in Vladivostok. He is accused of “secret theft” of his property and causing “grave damage”, according to Vladivostok’s Pervomaysky District Court.
Vladimir Naidin, chairman of the Regional Public Oversight Committee (ONC), told TASS that the authorities are investigating whether Black is being provided with everything he needs, including access to a lawyer. He remains in pre-trial detention pending evaluation.
According to TASS, Black was stationed in South Korea and after completing his mission, he headed to Vladivostok to visit a Russian woman with whom he was romantically involved. His arrest came amid heightened tensions between the United States and Russia as the war in Ukraine escalates. However, a representative from Russia’s Foreign Ministry told TASS that the incident “has nothing to do with politics or espionage.”
At the time of his arrest, the US State Department confirmed that an American national was being held in Russia. A State Department spokesperson said at the time that “nothing takes precedence over the safety and security of American citizens overseas.” Several other Americans have been detained in Russia, including two who were declared unlawfully detained by the U.S. State Department: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and a former Marine. including Paul Whelan.
