A court in Vladivostok, Russia, has commenced the trial of an American soldier, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, who was arrested earlier this year on charges of theft. Black, aged 34, traveled to Vladivostok to visit his girlfriend and was apprehended after she accused him of stealing from her. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.
Reports from the courtroom in the Pervomaisky District Court in Vladivostok indicate that Black has agreed to testify in the trial and is cooperating with the authorities. The incident has added strain to U.S.-Russia relations, already tense due to the conflict in Ukraine.
