10 Photos of Taylor Swift's Ex, Conor Kennedy: RFK Jr.'s Son Facing 7 to 10 Years in Prison Sentence

Conor Kennedy, the son of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Taylor Swift's former boyfriend, has been placed on Russia's international wanted list after allegedly fighting for Ukraine in 2022. A Moscow court authorised his arrest in absentia, with Russian authorities claiming he acted as a mercenary.

If arrested and convicted under the charge reported by Russian state news agency TASS, Kennedy could face between seven and 10 years in prison. The ruling does not mean he has been detained, and there is no indication that he is currently in Russia.

Why Conor Kennedy Is Wanted by Russia

For context, Kennedy secretly travelled to Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. He later said he joined the country's International Legion, a unit formed for foreign volunteers supporting Ukraine's armed forces.

In an Instagram post published in October 2022, Kennedy explained why he had gone. 'Like many people, I was deeply moved by what I saw happening in Ukraine over the past year. I wanted to help,' he wrote.

'When I heard about Ukraine's International Legion, I knew I was going, and I went to the embassy to enlist the next day.'

According to TASS, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow approved the arrest request on 12 August. The case was heard behind closed doors. Kennedy's defence challenged the decision, but an appeals court upheld the ruling, the agency reported.

Russian authorities accuse him of participating in an armed conflict as a mercenary under Part 3 of Article 353 of the Russian Criminal Code. TASS reported that the charge carries a potential sentence of seven to 10 years.

The allegation has not been independently tested in a Russian trial involving Kennedy. His arrest was authorised in absentia, meaning he was not present when the court made its decision.

IBTimes UK cannot independently verify the underlying allegation, so the claims should be treated cautiously.

Kennedy's reported placement on the wanted list appears linked to his own account of serving in Ukraine. He said he returned to the United States in October 2022 after taking part in combat operations in the Kharkiv area.

From Taylor Swift Romance to Ukraine

The development has revived attention around a man better known to many readers for his brief relationship with Swift than for his legal career or military service.

Kennedy and the pop star dated in 2012. He is the grandson of former US senator and attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, and the grand-nephew of former President John F. Kennedy.

That family history has ensured that even a complicated legal case arrives with an unusually recognisable name attached to it.

His decision to join the war effort was kept from much of his family. Kennedy said he told only one person in the United States where he was, and one person in Ukraine his real name.

He wrote that he did not want relatives and friends to worry or to receive special treatment.

He also acknowledged having no military experience. In the same account, Kennedy said he 'wasn't a great shot' but could carry heavy equipment and 'learned fast.' He added that he was willing to die in Ukraine and was eventually sent to the north-eastern front.

The secrecy ended when credit-card charges appeared in Poland and Ukraine, according to an interview RFK Jr. gave to People magazine in 2022. The elder Kennedy said he was angry and concerned after discovering what his son had done.

Yet the disagreement did not become a public family rupture. RFK Jr. said he was proud of Conor, while acknowledging that his son's views on the war did not fully align with his own.

'He said to me, when he heard maybe a little bit of anger and concern, 'Dad, this is what you taught me to do, to stand up for what I believe in,' RFK Jr. recalled.

That exchange now carries a sharper edge. A decision that once looked like a private act of conviction has become the basis of a Russian criminal case.

What Happens to Conor Kennedy Now

Kennedy has since returned to the US and continued his legal studies at Georgetown University. He is listed as an associate attorney at Wisner Baum's Los Angeles office, according to the firm's website.

He also married Brazilian artist Giulia Be this year, according to reports. Neither Kennedy nor a representative for RFK Jr. immediately responded to requests for comment cited in coverage of the Russian court ruling.

Russia has issued similar in-absentia rulings against other foreign volunteers who served with Ukraine's International Legion. TASS listed American, British, Swedish, Czech, Georgian, Estonian, Colombian and Serbian nationals among those also pursued over alleged mercenary activity.

The practical effect of the warrant remains uncertain. It would not automatically result in Kennedy's detention in the United States, but it could create legal risks if he travelled to a country where Russian authorities could seek to enforce the order.

For now, the 32-year-old remains in America, working as a lawyer and living far from the front where his decision began. The war has moved on, but Russia's legal claim has not.