Washington, DC [US], The White House said it is "aware" of a US soldier being detained in Russia on suspicion of theft, at a White House press briefing on Monday (local time), National Security Responding to a media question about whether the US administration was aware of the report, spokesman John Kirby said, "Certainly, this is a better question to ask of our DoD (Department of Defense partners). But we Are aware of the matter," Kirby told reporters during the White House. House Briefing The US soldier was detained in Russia last week on suspicion of theft and is currently being held in pre-trial detention, CNN reported on Monday, citing two U.S. officials. According to officials, the soldier , a staff sergeant, was detained. Detained by Russian authorities on 2 May. He said he was posted in South Korea and decided to visit Russia on his own initiative.The US Embassy in Moscow is also seeking consular access to the soldier and has informed his family of his detention. Officials This is not the first incident in which an American citizen has been detained in Moscow. Several Americans have been jailed in Russia before, including Wall Street Journal reporter Ivan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whalen. In what the US State Department has repeatedly called wrongful detention, another soldier stationed in South Korea was detained when he voluntarily crossed into North Korea in July last year, according to CNN, a US military private Travis King, who fled North Korea, was charged with a total of eight crimes, including desertion, possession of child pornography, assault on fellow soldiers and battery on a superior officer, according to CNN. He was charged with a series of other alleged offences, including insubordination.