The White House has condemned the arrest of the Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich “in the strongest terms” after it was confirmed he was accused of spying by Russia’s top security agency on Wednesday. The American citizen dropped out of contact with his editors while working in Yekaterinburg, about 1,600km east of Moscow, with the Kremlin saying he had been caught “red-handed”. His employer has rejected the allegation and says it’s seeking the release of “our trusted and dedicated reporter”. International media outlets say Gershkovich is an experienced Russia reporter who is well-known and respected among foreign correspondents. Overnight, National Security Council Strategic Coordinator John Kirby said it wasn’t clear if Gershkovich’s detention was coordinated by Russia’s senior leadership or aimed as retaliation for other grievances. It’s the first case of an American journalist detained for allegations of spying since the Cold War.