On 10 November 2026, British police arrested a 41-year-old senior US Army serviceman on suspicion of spying for Russia. The operation was carried out jointly by Counter Terrorism Policing, the FBI, and US military authorities.
According to police, the man was detained near Gloucester (Gloucestershire, south-west England). He is suspected of offences under Sections 1 and 3 of the National Security Act 2023: obtaining or disclosing protected information and assisting a foreign intelligence service. Authorities said the allegations relate to Russia.
The detainee was serving at the headquarters of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) — a British-led NATO rapid reaction corps — at Imjin Barracks in Innsworth, Gloucestershire. He is a senior officer (field grade) who had access to sensitive information. His name has not been released. He is being held at a London police station and can be detained without charge for up to 14 days.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans (Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing) described the arrest as “significant”. “The allegations are serious and our investigation is very much ongoing. This is the result of close collaboration between UK and US authorities,” she said. Police are searching two locations in Gloucestershire and stressed that the case is not linked to any other ongoing investigations (including incidents involving RAF Fairford).
FBI Director Kash Patel called the arrest “important” and linked to “allegations of espionage, which is of the utmost concern to the United States and our allies”. He stated that the FBI “has no tolerance for anyone who breaks their oath to the United States and whose actions endanger our national security and that of our partners”. Patel also noted an increase in counterintelligence and espionage-related arrests over the past 21 months.
Brigadier General Sean Stinchon, commanding general of US Army Counterintelligence Command, said the alleged conduct of a senior soldier entrusted with sensitive information is “a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent”.
The Kremlin rejected any involvement. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on 11 November: “We have absolutely nothing to do with this, and it has absolutely nothing to do with us.”
