Russia Confirms U.S. Soldier Arrested for ‘Household Crime,’ Says He Is Not a Suspected Spy

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday the arrest of an American soldier, identified by multiple news agencies as Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, in Vladivostok, stating that he faces charges of “household crime” and is not suspected of being a spy.

“The case has no relation to politics or espionage,” the Foreign Ministry office in Vladivostok told the Russian news agency Tass.

The office stated that the Foreign Ministry had little interest in the case because it did not seem to involve Russia’s national security.

“As far as we understand, a household crime [is suspected] in this case. That is why the Russian Foreign Ministry’s mission in Vladivostok is not following the case of the US citizen closely,” Tass quoted the ministry as saying.

Despite the alleged nature of the alleged crime not being geopolitical, the Russian government confirmed on Tuesday that Black would remain in police custody until at least July 2 as the courts process his case. Moscow also confirmed the identity of the soldier and claimed that his alleged crime caused “significant damage” to a Russian citizen.

“The court came to the conclusion that U.S. citizen B., under the weight of the charges, in order to avoid responsibility, could hide from the preliminary investigation authorities and the court, thereby preventing the proceedings in the case,” a court statement read, according to NBC News.