WASHINGTON — Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old former U.S. Marine, has been released from Russian detention and is expected to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night. President Donald Trump confirmed the release on his Truth Social platform, saying it occurred on a humanitarian basis.
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to free Gilman without any U.S. prisoners being released in exchange, Trump said. Gilman had been detained in January 2022 in Voronezh, a city about 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of Moscow.
Russian state media reported Gilman was arrested for allegedly kicking a police officer while drunk. His father, Vladimir Gilman, who emigrated to Massachusetts from Russia, disputed that account in an October 2024 Boston Globe op-ed. The elder Gilman wrote that his son fell ill during the incident and accidentally kicked the officer, who was uninjured and later dropped the charges.
Gilman was initially sentenced to four and a half years in prison. That sentence was extended multiple times due to additional charges for alleged assaults while incarcerated.
The U.S. government recently designated Gilman as wrongfully detained. U.S. officials had urged Moscow to release him so he could receive medical treatment at home, citing concerns about his health.
A U.S. official who spoke with Gilman said he was walking and talking and appeared in good shape given the circumstances. U.S. Senator Ed Markey, however, described Gilman as being in near-death condition, suffering from severe pneumonia and a catatonic state in which he was non-responsive and unable to eat.
Markey said Gilman's release was "long overdue" and accused Russian authorities of subjecting him to "physical torture, forced medication, and provocations" during his detention. Gilman served in the U.S. Marines from August 2019 until August 2020.
Gilman's mother, Nina, is accompanying him on the flight back to the United States. A team of doctors will evaluate him during the journey.
After his arrival, Gilman is scheduled to be flown to a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, Texas, for further medical treatment. Trump said a team from his administration worked to secure the release, including envoy Adam Boehler and advisers Steve Witkoff, Sebastian Gorka and Jared Kushner.
Gilman was one of at least 10 Americans known to be imprisoned in Russia.
