As reported by the Russian Izvestia newspaper, a US Army sergeant has been taken into custody by police in the Eastern Russian city of Vladivostok on suspicion of beating and robbing a Russian woman he was romantically involved with.

Identified by US officials as Staff Sergeant Gordon Black, the 34-year-old married soldier has been detained by Russian authorities “on charges of criminal misconduct” since last Thursday, per NBC News.

In a statement, US Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith said, “The Russian Federation notified the US Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” noting that the sergeant was receiving consular support from the State Department.

She continued, "The Army notified his family and the US Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia."

It is reported that Black was stationed in South Korea and at the time of the incident, was on leave. AP added that he was due to go home to Fort Cavazos in Texas, but decided to take a detour through Russia without telling his superiors.

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Domestic dispute

It is reported that he became romantically involved with the victim while they were both in South Korea, and per AP sources, they had a domestic dispute about 6 months ago and the woman left for Vladivostok.

Izvestia, citing an anonymous source, said that Black followed her to the Russian city, adding that “He stayed with her for a while. At some point he began beating and strangling her. In the end he stole 200,000 rubles ($2,200) and some alcohol” before leaving.  

Meanwhile, RIA Novosti quoted a separate source as saying, “It’s a domestic violence case, law enforcement are dealing with it”.

This brings back the incident of the detained basketball star Brittney Griner who was arrested on February 17 in Russia for possession of cannabis-infused vape cartridges in her luggage. 

Since Cannabis oil is illegal in Russia, Griner, Griner, who played for Russian side Yekaterinburg during the WNBA off-season, was convicted of drug possession and trafficking. She was sentenced on August 4 to nine years behind bars and a fine of 1 million rubles ($16,576) after she pleaded guilty to the charges, before later being released in an exchange deal.

A year prior, in January 2023, US Navy soldier Taylor Dudley was held in Russia's Kaliningrad territory for nine months. 

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