₦airaland Forum

A 🇺🇸 US Army soldier stationed in South Korea has been detained in Russia, the US military says.

The Russian foreign ministry said the charges were not related to "politics or espionage", but to a "purely domestic crime".

Staff Sgt Gordon Black is accused of stealing personal property.

Russian authorities said on Tuesday they had detained two U.S. nationals, including a serving U.S. soldier, in separate criminal cases.

The soldier, detained on Monday on charges of criminal misconduct, was arrested on theft charges by a court in Vladivostok in Russia's Far East, the regional office of the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The 🇷🇺 Russian Foreign Ministry said the case had no political element and there were no allegations of espionage.

"As far as we understand, this is a purely everyday crime", the TASS state media agency cited the ministry's Vladivostok branch as saying.

Criminal cases against Americans in Russia have assumed diplomatic significance in recent years, including a drugs case against basketball star Brittney Griner freed last year in a prisoner swap, and an espionage case against Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, which he and his employer deny.

The court identified the soldier as Gordon Black and said he would be detained at least until July 2, according to RIA news agency. The U.S. Army, which said on Monday it had been informed about the detention, has not identified the soldier. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the soldier had been based in South Korea.

The Russian interior ministry in Vladivostok said a 32-year-old woman had filed a complaint against the 34-year-old suspect.

The two had met in South Korea. The American had come to Vladivostok to visit her, the two had an argument, and she later filed a police report accusing him of stealing money, it said. He was arrested in a local hotel, having bought a plane ticket to return home.

Separately, Moscow's court service said on Tuesday that a court had remanded a U.S. citizen whom it named as William Russell Nycum in custody for 10 days for "petty hooliganism".

It said he had been found naked outside after drinking alcohol in an incident it said "expressed obvious disrespect to society, citizens and public order".

When contacted by Reuters on Tuesday about the detention of the two U.S. nationals, a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Moscow said:

"We are aware of reports of U.S. citizens being arrested inside of Russia...Consular officers from the embassy always seek to aid citizens with appropriate assistance but due to privacy concerns we aren't able to comment further".

🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo scores 66th hat-trick of his career and it’s 52 goals in 52 games this season! ✨ 🐐 🐐

It’s 6️⃣6️⃣ G/A this season with 14 assists completed.

opamoses1:
What is it with this op and posting negative news about the USA. It seems you have been denied US visa several times.

Zxcvbnmghtr:
Oga Righteousness2 is this also a sign of the end of the world.

Zxcvbnmghtr:
It's not News since it's Iran.

30 🇺🇸 U.S sailors and Marines were injured in a training “accident” off North Florida, including five who required hospitalization, according to the U.S. Navy.

One sailor remained hospitalized Friday for treatment of injuries sustained after two Navy air-cushioned landing craft, or LCACs, collided during a training exercise off Florida Wednesday evening, injuring 30 sailors and Marines, Navy officials said Friday afternoon.

The service is investigating the mishap, which happened off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, during a pre-deployment Composite Training Unit Exercise with amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1), amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD-21) and the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, U.S. 2nd Fleet officials said a statement Friday afternoon to USNI.

There were 18 sailors and 20 Marines aboard the two LCACs when the craft collided, and 30 of them were injured. “Both LCACs involved in the incident remained afloat and have since returned to their ships,” Lt. Cmdr. Kristi Johnson, 2nd Fleet deputy public affairs officer, said in a statement. One LCAC came from Wasp, the other from New York.

“A third LCAC rendered immediate assistance and transported all 38 sailors and Marines” to the two ships, where medical personnel evaluated them for treatment, Johnson said.

“One sailor remains under medical care at a hospital in Savannah, Georgia, and our primary focus is on our sailor’s health and well-being,” Johnson said. “We will continue to provide updates as information is available. The incident remains under investigation.

“Five sailors who were injured were medically evacuated for further care at Savannah Memorial University Medical Center, and four have been released from the hospital after treatment, Navy officials said. Other sailors and Marines with minor injuries were treated aboard Wasp and New York.

Fleet officials provided no further details about the incident.

Wasp is the lead ship for the Norfolk, Virginia, based Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, which has embarked the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for scheduled training ahead of a planned overseas deployment.

“The recovery and investigation processes are ongoing, and more information will be provided by U.S. 2nd Fleet once available,” 2nd Fleet said.

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🇺🇸 Biden administration officials are increasingly worried that rogue Russian soldiers in Niger will take actions to antagonize U.S. troops in the country, forcing the U.S. to respond and have ordered all US personnel to remain alert.

They’re concerned that the Russian soldiers — who are stationed at the same air base as American troops in the capital of Niamey — will engage in disruptive behavior such as driving aggressively or harassing U.S. troops at checkpoints, according to two officials familiar with Western intelligence.

The intelligence, they stressed, shows that Russian soldiers pose no immediate threat to the U.S. troops. But even small hostile encounters would increase the risk of a confrontation that could result in an exchange of fire.

The officials, and others, were granted anonymity to speak freely about sensitive intelligence.

U.S. troops are making preparations to leave Niger, but do not have specific dates by which they need to leave, a Defense Department official said.

Skirmishes between U.S. and Russian troops in Niger would significantly escalate tensions between the two countries at a time when their relationship is increasingly strained over the war in Ukraine. The last time U.S. and Russian troops were stationed in such close proximity in Syria, the two sides engaged in an intense firefight that threatened to pull the two sides into a direct conflict.

There are between 60 and 100 Russians in Niamey, said the first DOD official.

The Russian forces are in Niamey to train and advise the Nigerien armed forces. One of the two U.S. officials said the Russians are expected to help the Nigerien soldiers train on air defenses.

The Pentagon is confident in its force protection measures and assesses the Russian troops are not looking to clash with Americans. But DOD officials are concerned that the Russian forces could also try to gather intelligence on the American capabilities.

“The concern is more along the lines of intel. Obviously they are eyes on the ground and they have the ability to monitor,” said a second DOD official. “We obviously don’t love that they are there, but it’s not our country.”

U.S. officials tried to work out a deal with the country’s military junta that would allow them to stay in the country, pushing its leaders to agree to a roadmap that would eventually lead to a return to democratic rule. While U.S. officials are still attempting to negotiate, the junta has so far refused to agree to those terms and pulled in Russian paramilitaries to help train its troops and provide arms.