Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, an American soldier, is on trial in Vladivostok, Russia, for charges of stealing from his girlfriend. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. Black flew to Vladivostok to see his girlfriend, who accused him of stealing from her. The trial has begun in the Pervomaisky District Court, and Black has agreed to testify and respond to the accusations against him. Russian authorities have stated that Black is cooperating with them.
The arrest of Black has further strained relations between the United States and Russia, which have been tense due to the conflict in Ukraine. Russia currently holds multiple Americans in its jails, including corporate security executive Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The U.S. government has labeled them as wrongfully detained and is working to negotiate for their release. Other detained individuals include musician Travis Leake, teacher Marc Fogel, and dual nationals Alsu Kurmasheva and Ksenia Khavana.
The U.S. State Department strongly advises American citizens against traveling to Russia. Under Pentagon policy, service members must receive clearance for international travel from a security manager or commander. The U.S. Army has stated that Black did not seek clearance for his trip to Russia, which was not authorized by the Defense Department. Given the ongoing threats to the U.S. and its military, approval for such travel is unlikely.
Black was on leave and returning to his home base at Fort Cavazos, Texas, from South Korea, where he had been stationed at Camp Humphreys with the Eighth Army. Cynthia Smith, an Army spokeswoman, confirmed that Black flew from South Korea through China to Vladivostok for personal reasons without approval. Black’s girlfriend, Alexandra Vashchuk, described the incident as a domestic dispute in which Black became aggressive and attacked her before stealing money from her wallet without permission.
U.S. officials have indicated that Black, who is married, met his girlfriend in South Korea. The trial proceedings in Vladivostok are ongoing, with Black set to testify and respond to the accusations made against him. The situation has highlighted the complications that can arise for American citizens in Russia and the need for proper authorization before traveling internationally, especially to countries with strained relations with the U.S.
