US Army officer held in UK on Russia spying suspicion was on NATO post

Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Tyner was on an undercover assignment with NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps when he was arrested in the United Kingdom on suspicion of spying for Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The unit is the alliance's rapid reaction force, built to command land forces during a conflict or crisis.

The Kremlin moved quickly to distance itself. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied that Moscow has any relation to the soldier, pushing back on the espionage suspicion hanging over him.

Tyner is not a first-time deployment. He previously served in Afghanistan, Qatar and Iraq before his current posting, according to the report.

The legal clock is already ticking. People familiar with the matter say Tyner is expected to face formal charges in the UK on November 15 or 16, and he is also expected to stand trial in the United States under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.