RFK Jr.’s Son Conor Kennedy Placed on Russia’s Wanted List for Ukraine Service

A Moscow court has authorized the arrest in absentia of Conor Kennedy, 32, son of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., over his service with Ukraine’s International Legion during Russia’s invasion. Russian authorities accuse Kennedy of mercenary activity, an offense punishable by seven to ten years in prison. Kennedy publicly disclosed in October 2022 that he had traveled to Ukraine and joined the military unit despite having no prior combat experience.

How Kennedy ended up in Ukraine

In October 2022, Kennedy revealed on Instagram that he had secretly traveled to Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion. He wrote that he was deeply moved by images from the war and wanted to help. When he learned about Ukraine’s International Legion, a military unit for foreign volunteers, he said he enlisted the next day at the embassy.

Kennedy served in the Kharkiv region before leaving Ukraine later that year. He kept his identity largely secret during his service. His parents, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and actress Cheryl Hines, told People magazine in 2022 that while they did not completely agree with his decision, they remained proud of him.

Russia’s mercenary charge and legal dispute

The Basmanny District Court approved the arrest request, and the Moscow City Court upheld the order after Kennedy’s defense appealed, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Russia’s Criminal Code defines a mercenary in part as someone who participates in fighting for material compensation, is not a citizen or permanent resident of the country involved in the conflict, and was not sent there to perform official duties.

Ukraine gives foreign volunteers who formally join its military a different legal status. The International Legion’s official government site states that foreign volunteers are full members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and have the same duties, legal protections, military pay and benefits as other Ukrainian service members. This distinction matters under international humanitarian law, which does not treat every foreign volunteer as a mercenary.

Kennedy’s life after Ukraine

Kennedy has since returned to the United States and married Brazilian artist Giulia Be in 2026. He resumed his law studies at Georgetown University and is currently listed as an associate attorney at the Wisner Baum law firm in Los Angeles, California.

Kennedy is the grandson of former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and great-nephew of former President John F. Kennedy. He became widely known to the public in 2012 when he briefly dated Taylor Swift. If captured and convicted, Kennedy could face anywhere between seven and ten years in prison, according to People magazine.

What happens next

Kennedy has not been convicted and remains in the United States. Russia’s arrest warrant is in absentia, meaning it applies only if he is captured or travels to a country with an extradition treaty with Russia. The case underscores the legal gray area surrounding foreign military volunteers in active conflicts and how different nations classify their status under criminal law.

Final Thoughts

Conor Kennedy’s placement on Russia’s wanted list reflects a fundamental legal dispute over how foreign volunteers in Ukraine should be classified. With Kennedy living and working in California, the warrant poses no immediate threat unless he travels to a jurisdiction that would honor Russian extradition requests.

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