An American was sentenced today by a Russian court to six years in prison for the attempted kidnapping of his son, amid tensions between Moscow and Washington.

A court in Kaliningrad – the Russian enclave located between Poland and Lithuania – sentenced the American to six years in prison, which he will serve in a penal colony, according to a Telegram announcement.

The American, whose identity has not been disclosed, “was also fined 100,000 rubles” (about 1,000 euros), the court’s decision said.

According to the case file, the defendant reunited with his four-year-old son – who has Russian citizenship – in July 2023 in the Kaliningrad enclave, with the intention of taking him away from Russian soil. Two days later, “without the mother’s consent”, he tried to cross the border with Poland with the child, “crossing forests and swamps”, before being arrested by Russian border guards.

In recent years, a number of Westerners – particularly Americans – have been arrested in Russia and faced serious charges, with Washington talking of cases of hostages being exchanged for Russians held abroad.

On August 1, the largest prisoner swap between the West and Russia since the end of the Cold War took place, in which Moscow released American journalist Evan Gershkowitz and fellow American ex-Marine Paul Whelan.

Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated significantly since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, the White House has supported Kiev militarily and financially.