US Army soldier arrested in UK over Russia spying claims

British counter-terrorism police arrested a 41-year-old senior US Army soldier near Gloucester on Tuesday, November 10, on suspicion of national security offences linked to Russia. He was detained under Sections 1 and 3 of the National Security Act 2023. Those sections cover obtaining or disclosing protected information and assisting a foreign intelligence service. He has not been named and is in custody at a London police station. Officers are searching two locations in Gloucestershire.bbc.co.uk+1

The case is a rare instance of a serving American soldier being detained on espionage suspicion on the soil of a close ally. Counter Terrorism Policing said it worked closely with US authorities, the US military and the FBI on the arrest, and stated that "the country to which the allegations relate is Russia".nbcnews.com

US Officials Respond

FBI Director Kash Patel called it an "important arrest" involving "allegations of espionage, which is of the utmost concern to the United States and our allies." He added that "this 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, commanding general of US Army Counterintelligence Command, said the alleged conduct "of a senior soldier, entrusted with sensitive information, is a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent." He also thanked British authorities and the FBI for their teamwork.bbc.co.uk+1

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the UK's senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, called the arrest "significant" and the result of close UK-US collaboration. "The allegations are serious and our investigation is very much ongoing," she said.news.sky.com

Where the Soldier Was Based

The BBC understands the soldier was based at Imjin Barracks in Innsworth, Gloucestershire. The site serves as a headquarters for NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. Under the 2023 law, police can hold him without charge for up to 14 days. Gloucester is also home to Britain's Government Communications Headquarters, though the police release did not mention the intelligence agency.thenationalnews.com+1

Not Linked to Other Probes

Police said the investigation is not connected to any other ongoing counter-terrorism operations. According to the AP, this indicates the case is separate from a suspected Iran-linked terror plot in September at RAF Fairford, a US-run base near Gloucester. After that threat, the US Air Force withdrew bombers from the base. The arrest comes as British security services warn that both Russia and Iran have used proxies to commit crimes on UK soil.thehill.com+1