RFK Jr.'s Son Could Face 10 Years in Russia After Being Put on Wanted List Over Secret Ukraine Stint

Conor Kennedy, the son of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., could face up to 10 years in prison in Russia after being placed on the country's international wanted list over his previously secret service with Ukraine's International Legion. The 32-year-old American lawyer, who previously dated Taylor Swift, revealed that he had travelled to the country without telling most of his family or friends.

During Kennedy's previously undisclosed trip to Ukraine in 2022, he joined the country's International Legion. He later revealed the decision in an Instagram post, explaining that he had been deeply affected by what he had seen of the conflict and wanted to help.

The Russian allegations centre on his role as a foreign volunteer fighting on Ukraine's side. According to Russian state media, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow authorised Kennedy's 'arrest in absentia' on August 12. If detained, he could face between seven and 10 years in prison.

Nothing in the source material indicates that Kennedy has been detained, and the case has been reported through Russian state media.

Conor Kennedy Kept His Ukraine Trip Secret From Family

Kennedy described his decision to travel to Ukraine as a personal one. In a statement published in October 2022, he said he had watched events unfolding in the country and felt compelled to act.

'Like many people, I was deeply moved by what I saw happening in Ukraine over the past year. I wanted to help,' Kennedy wrote.

He said he learned about Ukraine's International Legion and decided to enlist, going to the embassy the following day. His decision was deliberately kept from most of the people around him.

'I told one person here where I was, and I told one person there my real name,' he said. 'I didn't want my family or friends to worry, and I didn't want to be treated differently there.'

Kennedy also acknowledged the reality of his brief experience as a soldier. 'My time in Ukraine wasn't long but I saw a lot and I felt a lot,' he wrote, adding that he had found he liked being a soldier more than he had expected.

'It is scary,' he said. 'But life is simple, and the rewards for finding courage and doing good are substantial.'

Those comments now take on a different significance following the Russian court action. The same trip Kennedy once described as a decision to help Ukraine has apparently become the basis for the legal action reported against him in Russia.

Why Russia Wants Conor Kennedy Imprisoned

Kennedy is an American citizen and the son of a senior US government official, yet Russian authorities have taken legal action against him because of his reported involvement on Ukraine's side.

Russian state media has described Kennedy as being accused of acting as a mercenary. The Basmanny District Court's decision to authorise his arrest in absentia means Russian authorities can seek his detention if he comes within their reach.

The source does not provide details of the specific evidence underpinning the allegation beyond linking the case to Kennedy's 2022 service in Ukraine. There is also no indication in the material that Kennedy has accepted the Russian characterisation of his role as a mercenary.

According to local report, the Moscow court authorised his arrest in absentia on August 12, with a potential sentence of seven to 10 years if he is detained.

His connection to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also signifcant. Kennedy is the son of the current US Health Secretary and his late former wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy. His family background places the Russian action against an American political figure's son, although the source does not report any response from RFK Jr. or the wider Kennedy family to the court decision.

For Kennedy himself, the consequences of the Ukraine trip are now considerably more serious than when he first disclosed it.

He had said he did not want preferential treatment because of his name and deliberately avoided telling people where he was. 'I didn't want to be treated differently there,' he wrote.

Four years later, that decision has put him on Russia's international wanted list.

The available reporting does not establish what would happen if Kennedy were detained outside Russia, nor does it indicate that he intends to travel there.