Russia has released former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman after more than four years in detention, with President Vladimir Putin granting him a humanitarian pardon as concerns over his health intensified.
Gilman, 32, was being held in the Russian city of Voronezh after his arrest in January 2022. U.S. officials said Tuesday that he was on a State Department aircraft heading to Washington for medical treatment.
The release followed appeals from the White House and the State Department, which had urged Moscow to allow Gilman to return to the United States because of his deteriorating condition. Reuters reported that the pardon was granted on humanitarian grounds.
A U.S. official who spoke with Robert Gilman said he was walking and talking aboard the aircraft.
“All things considered he seems to be in good shape,” the official said.
Four doctors were expected to evaluate Gilman during the flight, U.S. officials said. His mother, Nina, was also traveling with him.
Gilman was expected to arrive at Washington Dulles International Airport before being transferred to a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, Texas, for further treatment, the officials said.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Deputy National Security Adviser Sebastian Gorka were expected to meet Gilman upon his arrival. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner and U.S. hostage response envoy Adam Boehler were among the officials involved in efforts to secure his release.
President Donald Trump welcomed the development Tuesday, saying Gilman was coming home after being freed on humanitarian grounds.
“I am proud to announce that American Citizen Robert Gilman, a former United States Marine, is coming HOME!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He said he had discussed the release with Putin.
U.S. officials said no Russian prisoner was exchanged for Gilman and that Washington made no concessions to secure his freedom.
“It’s a goodwill gesture,” one U.S. official said.
Gilman’s arrest and imprisonment
Gilman was traveling by train when he was arrested in Voronezh on Jan. 17, 2022, according to Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, an advocacy organization supporting Gilman’s family.
Russian state media said Robert Gilman was detained after allegedly kicking a police officer while intoxicated.
Gilman’s family has disputed the allegations. His father, Vladimir Gilman, who moved from Russia to Massachusetts, said in a 2024 opinion article in The Boston Globe that his son became ill during the incident and accidentally kicked the officer.
The officer was not injured and later withdrew the complaint, his father said.
Gilman was initially sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Russian authorities later extended his sentence after accusing him of assaulting prison personnel.
His family and advocates have rejected those allegations.
Gilman served in the U.S. Marines from August 2019 to August 2020. He later worked as an English teacher.
Health concerns intensified
His medical condition became a major concern during his imprisonment.
Lebson told Reuters last week that Gilman was moved in late June from a prison hospital to the psychiatric section of a civilian emergency hospital in Voronezh.
Doctors assessed him as being in a condition described as a “dissociative stupor,” according to Lebson.
The condition had left Gilman unable to communicate normally, while advocates said he required medical assistance with food and fluids.
Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey had pressed for his release and said Gilman had also suffered severe pneumonia.
“Approximately 50 days ago, Robert was diagnosed with a dissociative stupor — a condition where he could not interact or eat,” Markey said. “He was essentially catatonic and also suffered a severe case of pneumonia.”
Markey welcomed news of Gilman’s release but warned that his recovery remained uncertain.
“We do not know his current condition or the long-term impact on his recovery,” he said.
No prisoner exchange
The release differs from some previous cases involving Americans detained in Russia, where Washington and Moscow have negotiated prisoner exchanges.
U.S. officials said no Russian national was released as part of the agreement involving Gilman.
Reuters said the decision followed intensive discussions between American and Russian officials over the weekend. Russian senior official Yuri Ushakov had informed Trump administration officials that Putin was prepared to pardon Gilman on humanitarian grounds.
The State Department said Gilman had recently been designated as wrongfully detained.
The department also expressed hope that his release could lead to the freedom of other Americans held in Russia.
One of them is Stephen Hubbard, a retired U.S. schoolteacher who was sentenced in Russia after being convicted of fighting for a Ukrainian territorial defense unit. Hubbard has denied the allegation.
A broader U.S. Russia relationship
Gilman’s release comes as Washington and Moscow continue to navigate a difficult relationship shaped by the war in Ukraine and other international disputes.
The decision to free him without a prisoner exchange could provide a limited opening for further discussions over Americans detained in Russia.
It also gives the Trump administration a diplomatic success at a time when the two governments continue to disagree over major security and foreign policy issues.
The release does not resolve those broader disputes. But the humanitarian basis cited by Putin and the absence of a prisoner exchange suggest that Moscow viewed Gilman’s case as an opportunity to make a gesture toward Washington.
Gilman was among at least 10 Americans previously known to be imprisoned in Russia. His return could therefore become a test of whether the cooperation surrounding his release can be extended to other American detainees.
For now, the immediate priority is his medical recovery.
After years in Russian custody and a serious decline in his health, Gilman is returning to the United States for treatment and further evaluation.
Source: Reuters: Russia frees ailing ex US Marine Robert Gilman from detention (Reuters)
