US Army soldier arrested in England on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence

A senior member of the US Army was arrested Tuesday in England on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence, British counterterror police said.

The 41-year-old man, who was not named, was arrested near the city of Gloucester in west England as part of an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing. He was arrested on suspicion of offences under sections 1 and 3 of the National Security Act 2023, which relate to obtaining or disclosing protected information and assisting a foreign intelligence service. British authorities confirmed the country to which the allegations relate is Russia.

The Metropolitan Police said its counter-terror forces worked closely with the FBI and US military. The suspect remains in custody.

FBI Director Kash Patel called the arrest “important” and said it “involves allegations of espionage, which is of the utmost concern to the United States and our allies.” He added that the FBI “has no tolerance for anyone who breaks their oath to the United States and whose actions endanger our national security and that of our partners.”

Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, the commanding general of US Army Counterintelligence Command, said: “The alleged conduct of a senior solider, entrusted with sensitive information, is a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Britain’s senior national coordinator for counter terrorism policing, called the allegations “very serious” and said the “investigation is very much ongoing.”

Searches were underway at two locations in Gloucestershire, a county about 90 miles (140 kilometers) west of London. Police said the arrest was not related to other counter-terror investigations.

The arrest comes as British security services say Russia and Iran have both used proxies to commit crimes on UK soil. The United States has moved military aircraft from an airbase in the United Kingdom amid threats from Iran. A US official confirmed to NBC News that several military aircraft had left RAF Mildenhall, with at least eight air refueling tankers and three Ospreys leaving the base in Suffolk, eastern England, on Monday, according to flight tracking data.

Sources

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