Robert Gilman in a Russian prison, April 2026

Russia has released former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, who had been jailed in 2022 and was in critical health conditions.


London-based officials said Gilman was freed “for humanitarian reasons” and was flown to Washington, D.C., on a U.S. government plane. The release was confirmed by Kirill Dmitriev, the special envoy for President Vladimir Putin.


Senator Ed Markey posted that Gilman had been essentially catatonic and battling severe pneumonia before the decision to release him. Markey described a “dissociative stupor” where the Marine could not interact or eat for approximately 50 days.


Reuters reported that multiple doctors tended to Gilman before he departed the Russian border and that a U.S. official said he appeared to be in better shape upon arrival.


A family statement hailed President Trump for “saving my brother’s life,” with one sister expressing her gratitude for the swift intervention that enabled Gilman’s return to the United States.


He is expected to join a military hospital in Texas, where his family says they are awaiting his arrival.">