US soldier arrested in Britain on suspicion of espionage linked to Russia

LONDON (AP) — A member of the U.S. Army assigned to a NATO unit was arrested Tuesday in England on suspicion of espionage related to Russia, counterterror police and other officials said. The arrest comes during heightened concern over threats to American forces stationed in Britain and tension between Moscow and much of Europe.

The 41-year-old man, who was not named, was arrested near Gloucester on suspicion of violating two sections of the National Security Act 2023: assisting a foreign intelligence service and obtaining or disclosing protected information.

He was serving in NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps at Imjin Barracks near Gloucester, according to a U.S. official, a senior NATO official and a British government official. The man is an officer, the U.S. official said. All three spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps is a multinational land unit within the NATO military alliance that is designed to quickly respond to crises or short-notice operations. According to the unit’s website, it is made up of forces from 20 nations but is led by the British and based in Gloucester, where the U.S. soldier was arrested.

U.S. Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, commanding general of the Army’s Counterintelligence Command, described the suspect as a senior soldier but offered no other details on his identity in a news release. Officials have not provided more information about the case.

The Metropolitan Police said its counterterror forces worked closely with the FBI and U.S. military. In the news release, FBI Director Kash Patel called it an “important arrest” dealing with allegations of espionage that are of “utmost concern” for the U.S. and its allies.

“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,” Patel said.

The suspect was in custody at a London police station, officials said. Searches were conducted at two locations in Gloucestershire, a county about 90 miles (140 kilometers) west of London.

Police said the arrest was not related to other counterterrorism investigations, indicating no connection with a suspected terror plot linked to Iran in September at a U.S.-run base in Britain, RAF Fairford, near Gloucester.

After the threat, the U.S. Air Force withdrew bombers that had been used to strike Iran from RAF Fairford. The Air Force this week also relocated aircraft from another base in Britain — RAF Mildenhall — because of a threat, which The Wall Street Journal reported was related to Iran.

Tuesday’s arrest near Gloucester appears to be separate from those incidents, with authorities saying the case was related to Russia.

Several European nations have recently warned of the rising threat from Russian covert activity, including sabotage, espionage and drone incursions.

Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Service said Russian President Vladimir Putin may carry out military attacks against NATO only if he assesses NATO will not respond collectively and “especially if Russia assesses that the United States cannot or will not support the European NATO countries in a potential war against Russia.”

NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said last month that the alliance is ready to fight if it is attacked. He made the comments in Poland as he outlined how NATO would defend itself from a Russian attack.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the AP has tracked more than 210 incidents of sabotage and malign activity across Europe blamed on Russia by Western officials that included organizing plots to set fire to warehouses, launching drones and trying to kill enemies abroad as well as stealing defense technology and carrying out cyberattacks on critical European infrastructure.

One of the most recent incidents was an attempted drone attack on a German airport in August that officials blamed on Russia. It prompted Germany to shut a Russian consulate.

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Toropin reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Ben Finley in Washington contributed to this report.