The Kremlin Has Released The Detained U.S. Marine

Following a rebuke from Washington.

On Tuesday, August 11, Russian authorities released former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, who had been detained in Russia since 2022, according to Reuters citing U.S. officials. It is reported that President Vladimir Putin approved the pardon of Gilman—who may be in serious condition due to illness—on humanitarian grounds. According to U.S. officials, on Tuesday Gilman, along with his mother Nina, was aboard a U.S. State Department plane flying from Russia to Washington.

The release followed a request by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which, according to Reuters, was made during negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 23. Washington sought Gilman’s release so that he could receive urgent medical care. A U.S. government official who spoke personally with the released former Marine reported that he is able to walk and speak on his own. Previously, relatives and human rights activists had said that the man had been diagnosed with dissociative stupor and was being fed through a feeding tube.

“Considering all the circumstances, he seems to be in good shape,” the source said. According to sources, Gilman will be examined by four doctors during the flight, and after landing, he will most likely be taken to a rehabilitation center in Texas for treatment.

Gilman was detained in January 2022 on the Sukhum–Moscow train, as stated by Russian investigators, for assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct while intoxicated. Initially, the court sentenced him to 4.5 years in a penal colony for the use of violence against a law enforcement officer. After an appeal, the sentence was reduced to 3.5 years. Later, Gilman became a defendant in a new case due to conflicts with prison staff and an investigator. In 2024, he was sentenced to seven years and one month in prison on the new charges.

About a month ago, Gilman was transferred from the prison hospital in Voronezh to the psychiatric ward of a civilian clinic. His mother and a representative of the U.S. Consulate stated that they were not being allowed to visit the former Marine at the hospital.

Gilman’s release was the result of intense negotiations held over the weekend between U.S. and Russian officials, U.S. administration officials said. However, they noted that the United States did not hand over any Russian prisoners in exchange for Gilman’s release. “This is a gesture of goodwill,” said one of the officials.

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