Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed grave concern over the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia on espionage charges, and has called for his immediate release. The Journal and Dow Jones have denied the unsubstantiated allegations and the U.S. government is closely monitoring the situation, with the safety and security of American citizens around the world a top priority.
Posts tagged as “the Cold War”
American journalist Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, has been arrested by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of espionage. Gershkovich was detained in Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information related to the activities of one of the FSB's departments. This is the first time a reporter for an American news outlet has been arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War, and has been widely condemned by international media organizations and human rights groups.
On Tuesday, a Russian fighter jet struck a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea, resulting in the U.S. bringing down the unmanned aerial vehicle. This incident has raised tensions between the two countries and appears to mark the first time since the height of the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft was brought down after being hit by a Russian warplane. U.S. Air Force Gen. Hecker called the incident a “brazen violation of international law” and the U.S. is currently investigating the matter.