Russia issues arrest warrant for RFK Jr.'s son Conor Kennedy over 2022 Ukraine service
A Moscow court ordered the arrest in absentia of 32-year-old Conor Kennedy on mercenarism charges, exposing the US health secretary's son to up to ten years in prison after he fought in Ukraine's International Legion.
Legal action in Moscow
A Moscow district court issued an arrest warrant in absentia on 12 August 2026 for Conor Kennedy, placing him on Russia's international wanted list. Russian state news agency TASS reported that prosecutors charged the 32-year-old American with mercenarism for his participation in combat operations on Ukrainian territory. Under the Russian criminal code, a conviction on mercenary charges carries a prison sentence ranging from seven to ten years if he is taken into custody.
The court order surfaced publicly through Russian court filings and coverage by Ukrainian outlet Kyiv Post. Conor Kennedy is the son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as health secretary in the administration of Donald Trump. Neither Conor Kennedy nor his father has issued a public response to the Moscow court ruling.
Service with the International Legion
Kennedy enlisted with Ukraine's International Legion in 2022, traveling to the country roughly four years before the Russian court order. He deployed to the northeastern front line for approximately two and a half months despite having no prior military service or combat background. While in Ukraine, Kennedy withheld his family name from peers and commanders because he did not want to receive special treatment or privileges during his deployment.
- Kennedy enlists in Ukraine's International Legion and serves on the northeastern frontline for two and a half months.
- A Moscow court authorizes Kennedy's arrest in absentia on charges of mercenarism.
- Russian state media and international outlets report Kennedy's inclusion on Russia's wanted list.
Kennedy explained his reasons for enlisting in an Instagram statement posted after his return to the United States. He wrote that he had been deeply moved by the situation in Ukraine over the preceding year and resolved immediately to assist the defense effort.
I had no prior military experience and wasn't a great shot, but I could carry heavy things and learned fast. I was also willing to die there. So they soon agreed to send me to the northeastern front.
Family discovery and return to the United States
Kennedy kept his deployment confidential from nearly everyone, informing only two individuals about his travel plans before departing the United States. His father and stepmother, actress Cheryl Hines, initially did not know where he was or that he had left the country. The family deduced his route only after tracking credit card transactions that began in Poland and subsequently appeared in Ukraine.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told People magazine in 2022 that he felt pride in his son's decision once he learned of the deployment. After concluding his two-and-a-half-month rotation on the northeastern front, Kennedy left the combat zone and returned to the United States to resume his legal studies at Georgetown University.
Recent developments and background
The Russian arrest warrant places Kennedy among a growing group of foreign nationals prosecuted in absentia by Moscow for fighting alongside Ukrainian armed forces. Russian judicial bodies have consistently classified foreign volunteers joining Ukrainian official military units as unlawful mercenaries.
Outside his military service and legal career, Kennedy has periodically appeared in public media coverage. He had a widely reported relationship with pop musician Taylor Swift and announced his engagement to Brazilian singer Giulia Be earlier in August 2026. The Russian arrest warrant remains active across international law enforcement databases registered by Moscow.
