U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black is escorted into a glass cage in courtroom in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, June 6, 2024. A court in Russia’s far eastern city of Vladivostok on Thursday began the trial of an American soldier arrested …MOSCOW — A court in Russia’s far eastern city of Vladivostok on Thursday began the trial of an American soldier arrested earlier this year on charges of stealing.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported from the courtroom in the Pervomaisky District Court in Vladivostok that Black agreed to testify in the trial and will respond to the accusations against him later in the proceedings. The report also cited local police as saying that Black is cooperating with the authorities.
Russia is holding a number of Americans in its jails, including corporate security executive Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The U.S. government has designated both men as wrongfully detained and has been trying to negotiate for their release. The U.S. Army said last month that Black hadn’t sought clearance for the international travel and it wasn’t authorized by the Defense Department. Given the hostilities in Ukraine and ongoing threats to the U.S. and its military, it is extremely unlikely he would have been granted approval.