Russia Releases US Former Marine Robert Gilman Without Prisoner Swap Following Trump-Putin Talks

Former US Marine Robert Gilman was released from a Russian prison in Voronezh without a prisoner exchange and is scheduled to land in Washington after talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Trump Announces Release

Russia released former US Marine Robert Gilman, who had been imprisoned in Voronezh since 2022. Donald Trump announced the information and noted that the decision came after his talks with Vladimir Putin.

“We appreciate this decision and the fact that Russia did not demand anyone in return. There was no exchange,” the US president wrote on Truth Social, adding that Moscow did so “mainly for humanitarian reasons.”

Arrival and Welcome in Washington

The soldier will land on Tuesday evening at the Andrews Air Force Base in Washington. There, according to Reuters, he will be greeted by US envoy Steve Witkoff and Deputy National Security Advisor Sebastian Gorka, who worked to secure Gilman’s release, alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others.

Trump stated that some White House representatives accompanied Gilman on board the plane, along with his mother. The US president emphasized that the soldier “will be able to see all of his loved ones” soon. “I just spoke with him and he had one wish. A great cheeseburger when he lands. I’ll take care of it,” Trump wrote.

Medical Condition and Treatment

Four doctors accompanied the soldier to examine him during the flight. The American was transferred from a prison hospital to a psychiatric ward at the end of June, suffering from a “dissociative stupor” resembling catatonia as an acute reaction to trauma, according to Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer at Global Reach, an organization representing Gilman’s family.

According to a US official who spoke with Gilman, the soldier “was walking and talking” and appears to be in good shape, a Reuters source said. Journalists established that the released man will likely continue his treatment at a rehabilitation facility in San Antonio, Texas.

Sentence for Attacking a Police Officer

The incident occurred in January 2022. According to Russian investigators, Gilman behaved aggressively on a train while under the influence of alcohol and got into a conflict with railway staff, who called the police. Officers took the American off the train and to a station, where he allegedly “started kicking a police officer,” according to Interfax.

A court in Voronezh initially sentenced the soldier to 4.5 years in prison, but an appeal reduced the term to 3.5 years. The sentence was later extended to a total of 10 years of imprisonment after Gilman was charged with additional acts of violence against prison guards. Following one of these incidents, the man claimed that guards mocked him and insulted his father, and a pre-trial detention facility inspector injured his genital area during a search, RIA Novosti reported.