US soldier arrested in UK for suspected ‘espionage’ for Russia

A senior U.S. soldier was arrested in Britain on suspicion of assisting Russian ​intelligence, British police said on Tuesday, after the U.S. ‌ removed aircraft from British military bases over a separate apparent threat from Iran.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the arrest of the 41-year-old man was related to “allegations of espionage, ​which is of the utmost concern to the United States ​and our allies.”

Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, the commanding general ⁠of U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, added: “The alleged conduct of a ​senior soldier, entrusted with sensitive information, is a sobering reminder that ​insider threats are real and persistent.”

The arrest, which took place near the city of Gloucester, west England, on Tuesday, “is not linked to any other ongoing Counter Terrorism ​Policing investigations,” British police said.

But it occurred the day after ​the U.S. removed refuelling aircraft from a British airbase in the second such apparent ‌evacuation ⁠in three months.

Planes left the Royal Air Force base in Mildenhall, eastern England, on Monday, which, according to the Wall Street Journal, was prompted by a threat from Iran.

The U.S. in September withdrew ​bombers that had ​been used to ⁠strike Iran from RAF Fairford on security grounds over an incident police have linked to Iran, which ​has denied any links to attacks or incidents in ​Britain.

The soldier arrested on Tuesday was detained on suspicion of offenses under sections 1 and 3 of the National Security Act, which relate ⁠to ​obtaining or disclosing protected information and assisting ​a foreign intelligence service. Police said the country to which the allegations relate is ​Russia.