His detention was confirmed by an Army spokesperson, who mentioned that the Russian Federation informed the U.S. Department of State about the arrest in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
The soldier's family has been informed, and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular assistance to him in Russia.
In an interview, the soldier's mother, Melody Jones, revealed that Black was on a two-week leave from South Korea when he traveled to Russia. Upon arrival, he was subjected to a nine-hour interrogation by authorities at the airport. "He said he was when he got off the plane, that he was pulled to the back in this room for nine hours and questioned why he was there," Jones said.
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has further strained relations between the U.S. and Russia. A State Department official told ABC News that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is working to gain consular access to Black but has not yet been allowed to meet with him. The soldier is currently in pretrial detention until July 1, with the possibility of an extension.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed deep concern over Black's arrest, stating, "Putin has a long history of holding American citizens hostage." He warned Americans against traveling to Russia, echoing the State Department's advisory.
Black's case is part of a series of high-profile detentions of Americans in Russia, including Paul Whelan, a former Marine imprisoned on espionage charges since 2018, and Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter detained in March 2023. Previous incidents involving U.S. soldiers, such as Travis King fleeing into North Korea and later being returned to face desertion charges, highlight the risks associated with travel to Russia for U.S. citizens. Both the U.S. State Department and the Defense Department strongly discourage travel to Russia for Americans due to the potential for wrongful detentions.