US Army soldier arrested in England on suspicion of helping Russian intelligence, police say
The suspect, who has not been named, is held at a London police station while searches continue at two locations in Gloucestershire.
Written with AI assistance from the sources listed below, then checked against them and reviewed by an editor. How our newsroom works
A US Army soldier arrested in England on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, is suspected of helping Russian intelligence, counterterrorism police said. The 41-year-old, who has not been named, was arrested near Gloucester and is held at a London police station, according to the Associated Press. Searches are under way at two locations in Gloucestershire.
What police suspect under the National Security Act
He is suspected of two offences under the National Security Act 2023: assisting a foreign intelligence service, and obtaining or disclosing protected information, ABC News reported, drawing on Reuters, AFP and AP. The reports do not say he has been charged.
Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing at the Metropolitan Police, said: “The allegations are serious and our investigation is very much ongoing.” She said the arrest followed “close collaboration between UK and US authorities.”
What US officials said about Russian intelligence
Brigadier General Sean Stinchon, commanding general of the US Army Counterintelligence Command, described the suspect as a senior soldier and said “insider threats are real and persistent.” FBI Director Kash Patel called the allegations of “utmost concern” to the United States and its allies. He said: “This FBI has no tolerance for anyone who breaks their oath to the United States,” according to the AP.
The Army Counterintelligence Command declined to give further information about the case.
Key numbers
- 41: the age of the US Army soldier arrested near Gloucester, per the AP.
- Two: the sections of the National Security Act 2023 he is suspected of breaching, and the number of Gloucestershire locations being searched.
- About 140 km: how far west of London Gloucestershire lies, per ABC.
- About 200: incidents of sabotage and malign activity across Europe tracked by the AP since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Western officials have blamed on Moscow.
Background: other cases near Gloucester
Police said the arrest is not linked to other counterterrorism investigations, including a suspected Iran-linked plot in September at RAF Fairford, a US-run base near Gloucester. After that threat, the US Air Force withdrew bombers from RAF Fairford that had been used to strike Iran, the AP said. For earlier Western diplomacy on Iran and Ukraine, see our report on the G7 foreign ministers’ Paris meeting.
What happens next for the US Army soldier arrested
The suspect remains in police custody in London, and the reports do not say when he may be charged or brought before a court. Searches continue in Gloucestershire. Whether the US Army soldier arrested on Tuesday is charged under the 2023 Act is the next test.
An arrest of a serving US soldier under UK security law touches the US-UK intelligence partnership and the wider concern over Russian-linked sabotage in Europe. The next step is whether prosecutors charge him under the 2023 Act, which would put the allegations before a court.