Son of Health Secretary RFK Jr. Lands on Russia’s Most-Wanted List for Fighting in Ukraine

Conor Kennedy, the 32-year-old son of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has found himself on Russia’s international most-wanted list after Moscow accused him of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine.

Kennedy joined Ukraine’s International Legion in 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion, and spent roughly two and a half months fighting alongside Ukrainian forces before returning to the United States. He later revealed the secret trip on social media, saying he felt compelled to support Ukraine in its fight.

A Moscow court authorized Kennedy’s arrest in absentia on August 12, charging him with participating in Ukraine’s military operations as a mercenary—a crime that carries a potential prison sentence of seven to 10 years if he is ever apprehended and convicted on Russian soil.

Kennedy, who has since resumed his law studies at Georgetown University and works as an attorney, had no previous military experience when he volunteered for the International Legion. The decision to deploy to Ukraine was made largely without his family’s knowledge, though RFK Jr. has since expressed pride in his son for acting on his convictions, despite initial concerns about the secret deployment.

The RFK Jr. clan has found themselves back in the international spotlight as a result. While the father and son don’t always see eye-to-eye on U.S. involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the health secretary has acknowledged his son’s commitment to his beliefs.

Kennedy is far from the only foreign volunteer to draw Moscow’s legal ire. Russia has pursued criminal cases against numerous foreign fighters who joined Ukraine’s International Legion since the country established the unit following the 2022 invasion, disputing their volunteer status and treating them as mercenaries.