Highlights
- US soldier arrested near Gloucester on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence.
- He was assigned to Nato's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, a high-readiness military headquarters led by the British Army.
- Police are investigating allegations of obtaining or disclosing protected information and assisting a foreign intelligence service.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had "absolutely nothing to do" with the case.
BRITISH POLICE were questioning a 41-year-old US soldier on Wednesday (11) after arresting him on suspicion of spying for Russia.
The soldier, who was assigned to Nato's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), was detained near Gloucester in south-west England on Tuesday (10) as part of a joint investigation involving British and American military and law enforcement agencies.
He was arrested under two sections of Britain's national security laws, relating to obtaining or disclosing protected information and assisting a foreign intelligence service.
Police have not named the suspect or disclosed the nature of the information he is alleged to have handled.
The Kremlin denied any involvement in the case. Asked about the arrest, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday: "We have absolutely nothing to do with this, and it has absolutely nothing to do with us."
UK Counter Terrorism Policing said the investigation was continuing and that officers were searching two locations in Gloucestershire.
Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said the arrest followed close cooperation between British and US authorities.
"The allegations are serious and our investigation is very much ongoing," she said in a statement.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Kash Patel thanked British police and intelligence agencies for their work.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel speaks during a roundtable discussion on cybercrime in the East Room of the White House on October 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
"This important arrest involves allegations of espionage, which is of the utmost concern to the United States and our allies," he said.
Nato role raises security concerns
A senior Nato military official confirmed that the arrested man was assigned to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, a multinational military headquarters led by the British Army.
Based at Imjin Barracks in Innsworth, Gloucestershire, the headquarters is designed to deploy at short notice anywhere in Europe or elsewhere in the world under the direct operational command of Nato's Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Its location is also a few miles from GCHQ, Britain's intelligence, security and cyber agency headquarters.
Sean Stinchon, commanding general of US Army Counterintelligence Command, described the allegations as a warning about the risks posed by individuals with access to sensitive information.
He said the alleged actions of the "senior soldier, entrusted with sensitive information" were a "sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent".
Under British law, counter terrorism police can hold the suspect for up to 14 days without charge.
Police said the investigation was not connected to any other ongoing inquiries.
Series of suspected Russian operations
The arrest comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and European countries following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Western governments have repeatedly accused the Kremlin of conducting espionage operations and supporting activities intended to weaken backing for Ukraine.
In September, a British man appeared in a London court over allegations that he was preparing to sabotage a drone factory and other manufacturing sites on behalf of Russian military intelligence.
Last year, a 66-year-old British man was jailed for seven years for attempting to spy for Russia.
Several other young men in the UK have also been imprisoned for their involvement in setting fire to a warehouse storing supplies for Ukraine. Russia's paramilitary Wagner group had recruited the man who organised the attack, according to the investigation.
The latest case also follows security incidents at two British air force bases hosting US military personnel. British officials have accused Iran of being behind those incidents.
However, police have stressed that the investigation into the US soldier is separate from other ongoing inquiries.
The allegations against the soldier have not been proven, and no charges had been announced as of Wednesday.
(with inputs from agencies)
