US citizen detained in Russia on alleged drug charges, Moscow court says

A US citizen has been arrested in Moscow on drug-related charges, according to an official statement released Tuesday.

The citizen, named as Robert Woodland, is accused of preparing and attempting a crime, as well as illegally dealing with drugs.

“By a resolution of the Ostankino District Court of Moscow dated January 6, 2024, Woodland Robert Romanov was given a preventive measure in the form of detention for a period of 2 months, that is, until March 5, 2024,” the Russian court’s statement reads.

Pro-Kremlin tabloid Komosomolskaya Pravda reported earlier that Woodland is an US citizen of Russian origin, who was adopted by scientists from the US and 27 years later returned to Russia.

Last month Yuri Malev, a Russian-US dual national, was detained in St. Petersburg over accusations he showed “clear disrespect” toward the military and was therefore “vindicating Nazism” in social media posts, the Smolninsky District Court said in statement.

That arrest followed a string of high-profile detentions of US citizens and dual nationals in Russia, including Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter. The US classifies Gershkovich as wrongfully detained.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.