US Army officer involved in alleged Russian spying scheme identified: Reports

This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. The U. S. Army officer arrested in the United Kingdom this week for his alleged involvement in a Russian espionage scheme has been identified as Lt. Col. Brandon Tyner, according to multiple reports. The 41-year-old soldier was detained Tuesday following a sting operation and is expected to be charged in the U. K. early next week, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday afternoon. Following this court appearance, the Army will seek to transfer Tyner back to the U. S. and prosecute him under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, The New York Times reported, citing multiple American officials. The Journal was the first to identify Tyner as the suspect. Tyner is a decorated veteran who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Qatar. He has received a Bronze Star Medal and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his service. Most recently, he worked as a G-1 operations officer at the Gloucestershire headquarters of NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, according to his LinkedIn page. The quick response agency oversees the alliance’s land forces in the event of a conflict or crisis. Tyner’s LinkedIn also states he received a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and a master’s degree in military operational art and science from the U. S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College. FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest in a social media post Tuesday, emphasizing that the “Russia-related espionage” investigation was “ongoing.” “Our message is clear: This [FBI] has no tolerance for anyone who breaks their oath to the United States,” Patel wrote. “FBI will continue using every resource at our disposal to hunt down any subject who compromises our national security.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied any involvement in the matter, saying during a Wednesday press conference, “This arrest has nothing to do with us, and we don’t know what it is connected to.” Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.