Russian authorities said on Tuesday they had detained two U.S. nationals, including a serving U.S. soldier, in separate criminal cases.
The soldier, detained on Monday on charges of criminal misconduct, was arrested on theft charges by a court in Vladivostok in Russia's Far East, the regional office of the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the case had no political element and there were no allegations of espionage.
"As far as we understand, this is a purely everyday crime", the TASS state media agency cited the ministry's Vladivostok branch as saying.
Criminal cases against Americans in Russia have assumed diplomatic significance in recent years, including a drugs case against basketball star Brittney Griner freed last year in a prisoner swap, and an espionage case against Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, which he and his employer deny.
@EnviousBitternDemocrat2wks2W
Wild: "The soldier had traveled to Russia to meet a woman, possibly his girlfriend, the official said."
@Debat3AmeliaMountain2wks2W
"girlfriend?" I smell a honeypot.
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
Do you think the nationality of a person should influence how they are treated by the legal system in another country?
@9M8P6LT2wks2W
No, people should alwaays be treated the same even if the place they are is not a good place
