UK arrests US Army soldier over Russia spying allegations

Iain Marlow and Joe Mayes, Bloomberg News on Nov 10, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

WASHINGTON — British police have arrested a U.S. Army soldier on suspicion of being involved in a Russian espionage operation in a case that involved both U.K. and American authorities.

The 41-year-old man was arrested near Gloucester on Tuesday, and the national security case involves allegations related to Russia, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. No other details were offered.

“This important arrest involves allegations of espionage, which is of the utmost concern to the United States and our allies,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a joint statement. “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.”

In the same statement, Brigadier General Sean Stinchon of the U.S. 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.”

The Pentagon, 10 Downing Street and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the case.

The arrest comes as Western governments are increasingly highlighting the threat of Russian spying and sabotage, as Vladimir Putin seeks to intimidate and undermine nations supporting Ukraine. So-called Russian hybrid attacks across Europe in recent years have included cybersabotage, crude parcel bombings and arson, as the Ukraine war has dragged on.

In a separate British case earlier this year, a man was charged with providing details about drone manufacturing sites in England to a Russian intelligence unit and preparing to commit sabotage.

Joshua Cammidge, 31, was charged with assisting the GRU Volunteer Corps, a group controlled by Russia’s military intelligence agency. He sent screenshots with addresses for four drone-manufacturing sites in Swindon, south west England and volunteered to commit sabotage, U.K. prosecutors said in September.

The latest allegations concerning a U.S. Army soldier come after an intense period of intrigue for U.K.-U.S. military operations in Britain.

It follows the foiling of an Iran-linked terror plot at RAF Fairford, a U.K. airbase used by the U.S. Air Force, and a U.S. decision to move its bombers away from the base in the aftermath.

On Tuesday, the U.S. evacuated aircraft from a second U.K. military base in response to ongoing threats from Iran.

_____

(With assistance from Courtney McBride and Ilya Arkhipov.)

_____