Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s son Conor Kennedy has been placed on Russia’s international wanted list. Charged under Russian Criminal Code, the 32-year-old lawyer is accused of serving as a mercenary while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against Russia in the ongoing war, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.
Taylor Swift’s ex-boyfriend is charged with “participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict or .” Accused of committing a crime under Part 3 of Article 353 of the Russian Criminal Code, he faces 7 to 10 years in prison if detained.
The Basmanny District Court of Moscow on 12 August ruled Conor’s arrest in absentia. The corresponding ruling of the trial court authorised Conor’s arrest and stated, “The petition of the investigative body shall be granted.” Despite appeal from American legal team against the decision, the appeals court upheld the district court’s decision, according to a TASS correspondent.
Ex-US President John F Kennedy’s grand-nephew Conor, who inspired Swift’s 2012 song “Starlight,” called his time on the Kharkiv front, “a challenging time”. He disclosed his involvement in October 2022, after returning to the United States.”Conor is most proud of the work he and his team did there,” the lawyer’s biography on his firm’s website states.
Conor, the grandson of former US Attorney General Robert Kennedy, decided to join the Ukrainian forces after being “deeply moved” by what was happening in Ukraine. This was the time when he was on a break from his law studies at Georgetown University and learned about Ukraine’s International Legion and promptly visited the embassy to , he said in a 2022 Instagram post.
He described his experience in Ukraine in the post and stated, “I had no prior military experience and wasn’t a great shot, but I could carry heavy things and learned fast.” Recounting how he kept this a secret from everyone, even his family, he said, “I didn’t want to be treated differently there”. He further noted that he was willing to die “so they soon agreed to send me to the northeastern front.”
Calling himself lucky to have survived and made his return to his home country, Conor shared at the time, “My time in Ukraine wasn’t long but I saw a lot and I felt a lot. I liked being a soldier, more than I had expected. It is scary. But life is simple, and the rewards for finding courage and doing good are substantial.”
Conor Kennedy is all set to tie the knot
Conor, who spent about 10 weeks in Ukraine, dated for a few months during the summer of 2012. He is all set to tie the knot with Brazilian singer Giulia Be. The couple got engaged two years ago in August 2024. Few days ago, Conor’s fiancé shared photos of her bachelorette party on Instagram.
