Russia Frees Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman After More Than Four Years In Custody

Russia freed former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, 32, after more than four years in Russian custody, and President Donald Trump said Russia agreed to his release on humanitarian grounds following discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Trump said Russia agreed to release Gilman on a “humanitarian basis””

The Hill

Trump said Russia asked for no one in return and that "No exchange took place," as Gilman was expected to arrive at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night.

20Minutos

Reuters reported Gilman was being held in a prison in Voronezh, about 340 miles (550 kilometers) south of Moscow, and that the exact circumstances of his health are unclear.

Reuters also said Gilman was moved in late June from the prison hospital to the psychiatric ward of a civilian emergency hospital in a catatonic-like state assessed as a "dissociative stupor."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked Russia for working with special envoy Steve Witkoff to secure Gilman’s return, saying, "Today, after more than four years of detention in Russia, Robert Gilman is on his way home to be reunited with his family."

Global Reach chief strategy officer Eric Lebson told Reuters that Gilman was moved in late June to a civilian emergency hospital’s psychiatric ward in a catatonic-like state assessed as a "dissociative stupor."

ABC News

Trump posted on Truth Social that he had spoken with Gilman earlier on Tuesday and that Gilman had a request upon arriving home: "A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands."

The Guardian reported that Gilman’s family has consistently denied the allegations against him, and it said his father, Vladimir Gilman, wrote in an October 2024 Boston Globe op-ed that his son had fallen ill when the incident occurred and had accidentally kicked the police officer.

After leaving Russia, Gilman was expected to be evaluated on the flight by four doctors, Reuters reported, and then likely flown to a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, Texas, for medical treatment.

“likely to be flown to a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, Texas”

Reuters

Reuters said U.S. officials had urged Moscow to release Gilman so he could receive medical treatment in the United States, and it reported that Putin approved a pardon for him.

ABC News said Gilman was on his way to a U.S. military hospital in Texas for medical and psychological assessment and treatment, and it quoted Lebson saying Gilman had been in "a dissociative stupor" for 47 days due to the abuse he has suffered in prison.

ABC News also said Gilman was among at least eight Americans who remained in Russian custody after a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges with the U.S. in recent years, while Reuters said Gilman was one of at least 10 Americans known to be imprisoned in Russia.