US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken today said he was "deeply concerned" by Russia's arrest of an American journalist and condemned Moscow's efforts to "punish" the media.

"We are deeply concerned about the widely publicized detention of an American citizen journalist in Russia," Blinken said in a statement, referring to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

The US generally avoids naming nationals arrested abroad without obtaining formal permission from their families.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced today that the correspondent of the "Wall Street Journal", the American Evan Gershkovich, was arrested in Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage.

The FSB statement states that the 32-year-old Gershkovich is suspected of espionage for the benefit of the American Government.

The Wall Street Journal correspondent was arrested in Russia