Russia Releases Former Marine Robert Gilman on Humanitarian Grounds

President Vladimir Putin approved the pardon of Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old former U.S. Marine and Massachusetts resident, on August 11, 2026. Gilman had been imprisoned since January 2022 after being convicted of assaulting a police officer in Voronezh, with his sentence later extended to 10 years following alleged attacks on prison guards.

President Donald Trump stated the release followed discussions with President Putin and was granted on a humanitarian basis. He emphasized that no prisoner exchange took place, noting that Russia asked for no one in return. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the U.S. Department of State confirmed the unilateral nature of the release, with Rubio noting that Gilman is one of over 100 Americans freed during Trump's second term.

Advocacy group Global Reach and Senator Ed Markey reported that Gilman suffered severe abuse and torture during his detention, leaving him in a dissociative stupor and near death. Reports indicated he suffered from pneumonia and was essentially catatonic before his release.

Gilman is scheduled to arrive at Joint Base Andrews via a State Department aircraft before being transported to a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, Texas, for urgent medical and psychological assessment.