Russian authorities accuse Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal of spying.

Russian investigators have formally charged Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich with espionage, Russian state media reported Friday. Gershkovich has denied the accusations and is currently held in the notorious Leftereovo pre-detention center until May 29. The arrest marks the first time an American journalist has been detained on accusations by Moscow of spying since the Cold War. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to release Gershkovich immediately. CNN reported on Tuesday that the Biden administration is preparing to officially declare Gershkovich as wrongfully detained in Russia, a move that will trigger new US government resources to work towards his release.