Conor Kennedy lands on Russia's wanted list over Ukraine fight

Russian authorities have placed Conor Kennedy, son of US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on an international wanted list. The Basmanny District Court in Moscow approved the arrest order in absentia, Russian state media reported. The charges stem from his work with Ukraine's International Legion, a volunteer unit for foreign fighters, and carry a prison sentence of seven to ten years.

Kennedy, 32, disclosed his overseas service in October 2022 after returning to the United States. In a public account, he wrote that he had secretly traveled to Ukraine and enlisted following Russia's invasion. "Like many people, I was deeply moved by what I saw happening in Ukraine over the past year. I wanted to help," he said at the time.

He said he kept his identity and whereabouts secret so his family would not worry and he would receive no special treatment. "I told one person here where I was, and I told one person there my real name," he wrote. Joining with no prior military experience, he described himself as willing to carry heavy equipment and learn quickly, and was sent to the northeastern front. "I was also willing to die there," he wrote. His time in Ukraine ran about two and a half months.