Taylor Swift's ex, Conor Kennedy, 32, the son of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been placed on Russia's international most-wanted list. A Moscow district court authorised his arrest in absentia on August 12, accusing him of serving as a mercenary alongside Ukrainian forces. Russian state media outlet TASS reports he's been charged under Article 353 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers mercenary participation in armed conflict — a charge that carries a potential sentence of seven to ten years if he's ever convicted.
In 2012, Conor first made headlines in celebrity tabloids when he dated Taylor, who was 18 at the time and 22 at the time. Their brief, highly publicised relationship ended in October of that year. Most people agree that Taylor's song Starlight was inspired by the romance.
Conor travelled abroad when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and enlisted in Ukraine's International Legion, a group of foreigners prepared to fight alongside Ukrainian soldiers. He reportedly served for two to four months, including time on the front lines in the Kharkiv area, despite having no prior military experience.
According to reporting, Conor kept his real identity secret from nearly everyone during his deployment, revealing only pieces of the truth to a couple of trusted contacts so as not to worry his family or be treated differently because of his last name. He didn’t speak publicly about the experience until he was safely back on U.S. soil, later writing on Instagram that he’d been moved by what he witnessed in Ukraine and felt compelled to help once he learned about the International Legion.
Conor has since returned to civilian life in the U.S. and resumed law school. Despite the dramatic headlines, Conor isn’t in any immediate legal jeopardy. Russia’s wanted-list designation and in-absentia arrest authorisation only carry real weight if he sets foot in Russia or a country that closely cooperates with Russian law enforcement.
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