Former US Marine Robert Gilman has been released from a Russian prison after more than four years of detention.
US President Donald Trump stated that his discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin led to Gilman’s release. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Russia agreed to free him on a humanitarian basis.
According to Trump, no prisoner exchange took place and Russia did not ask for anyone in return. A photo included in his post showed Gilman, looking gaunt and wearing a baseball cap, holding an American flag aboard an airplane alongside several smiling people.
Legal background and health concerns
Gilman was 32 years old at the time of his release. He was sentenced in 2022 by a court in southwestern Russia to four and a half years in prison for assaulting a police officer. His sentence was later extended to 10 years for violence against prison staff.
Gilman’s sister, Lexie Hudson, had recently highlighted a serious deterioration in his health and called for his urgent release.
US response and other detainees
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked Russia in a statement for working with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to secure Gilman’s release and allow him to receive necessary medical treatment in the United States.
Rubio said the Trump administration welcomed the release as a positive step but emphasized that it was still seeking the immediate return of all other unjustly detained Americans. This includes Stephen Hubbard, who is described as a wrongful detainee.
Hubbard, a retired English teacher, was sentenced in a closed trial in October 2024 to nearly seven years in prison for mercenary work on behalf of Ukraine. He denies the charge.
