US Army officer serving with NATO arrested in Britain in Russia-linked spy inquiry

A US Army officer serving with a NATO formation in England was arrested Tuesday as part of an investigation into suspected espionage connected to Russia, police and officials said. The arrest comes amid concerns about security threats to American military personnel in Britain and tensions between Russia and European countries.

The unnamed 41-year-old was detained near Gloucester on suspicion of offences under two provisions of the National Security Act 2023. The allegations concern assistance to a foreign intelligence service and obtaining or disclosing protected information. Officials said he remained in custody at a London police station, while investigators searched two locations in Gloucestershire, roughly 90 miles west of the capital.

A US official, a senior NATO official and a British government official told The Associated Press that the suspect was assigned to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps at Imjin Barracks near Gloucester. They spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of military matters. The US official identified him as an officer, while US Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, who commands the Army’s Counterintelligence Command, described him in a statement as a senior soldier.

The corps is a British-led multinational land formation intended to respond rapidly to crises and operations requiring deployment at short notice. Its website says personnel come from 20 countries. Authorities have released no further information about the allegations against the officer.

London’s Metropolitan Police said its counterterrorism personnel cooperated closely with the FBI and the US military. FBI Director Kash Patel described the detention as an “important arrest” and said the espionage allegations were of “utmost concern” to the United States and its allies.

Police said the case was unrelated to other counterterrorism investigations, indicating it was separate from a suspected September terror plot linked to Iran at RAF Fairford, a US-run base near Gloucester. Following that threat, the US Air Force removed bombers from Fairford that had participated in strikes on Iran. This week, it also moved aircraft from RAF Mildenhall because of another threat, which The Wall Street Journal reported was connected to Iran.

The Russia-related investigation follows warnings from several European governments about covert Russian operations, including spying, sabotage and drone incursions. Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Service said President Vladimir Putin might launch military attacks against NATO only if he believed the alliance would fail to respond together, particularly if Moscow judged that Washington could not or would not support European allies in a war against Russia.

Speaking in Poland last month, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, US Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said the alliance was prepared to fight if attacked and outlined its plans for responding to Russian aggression. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the AP has documented more than 210 incidents of sabotage and other malign activity in Europe that Western officials have attributed to Russia.

Those incidents include warehouse arson plots, drone operations, attempts to kill opponents overseas, theft of defence technology and cyberattacks against critical infrastructure. Among the more recent cases was an attempted drone attack against a German airport in August. Officials blamed Russia, and Germany subsequently closed a Russian consulate.