In recent days he was an American soldier Arrested In Russia, in circumstances that are still unclear. Several newspapers initially published the news of the arrest on Monday, then the US government confirmed it. The soldier's name is Gordon Black, and before his arrest he was stationed in South Korea. He was arrested on May 2 in the Russian city of Vladivostok, which is about a hundred kilometers from the border with North Korea.

According to what some American government officials reported anonymously to several newspapers, Black had gone to Russia in the previous days on a personal trip, and was arrested on an unspecified charge of stealing from a woman. US National Security spokesman John Kirby said he was aware of the facts, but did not provide further details. In Russia, several American citizens are under arrest, including above all Paul Whelan, a former marine who was arrested in 2018 on charges of alleged espionage, and journalist Ivan Gershkovich. Wall Street Journal He was arrested in March 2023 on espionage charges that many countries and independent observers considered false and deceptive.