Russia said on Tuesday that it will hold a US soldier detained in the Far East over the weekend in custody until early July on theft charges.
The US Army said the soldier, identified by a court in the city of Vladivostok as Gordon Black, had been detained on criminal charges but withheld details citing the sensitivity of the case.
The detention of Black adds to the number of Americans held in Russia at a time of deep tensions with Washington over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Court spokeswoman Elena Oleneva said Black, who was detained on May 2, would be held until July 2 for theft, according to comments carried by the state-run Ria Novosti news agency.
The Russian tabloid Izvestia and the Baza social media platform, which claims to have sources close to law enforcement, said Black had beaten his Russian girlfriend during a visit to Vladivostok and stolen money and alcohol from her.
NBC News said the soldier traveled to Russia on his own and was not on official business.
Russian authorities have arrested several US citizens in recent years, with critics accusing Moscow of using detainees as bargaining chips in exchange for Russians jailed in the United States.
