US Marine Robert Gilman, who had been imprisoned in Russia since 2022, has been released and is returning to the United States, as announced by President Donald Trump on August 11, 2026. Gilman, 32, from Lowell, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for assaulting a police officer while intoxicated. He previously stated he did not remember the incident and expressed remorse towards the officer and the Russian authorities.
Trump announced Gilman's release on Truth Social, stating that Gilman had requested a cheeseburger upon his return. Gilman is expected to arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Washington, DC, later that evening, accompanied by his mother. Trump also acknowledged Russian President Vladimir Putin's role in granting Gilman's release.
Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts indicated that Gilman's health had severely deteriorated during his imprisonment, citing a recent diagnosis of dissociative stupor, which left him non-responsive. Markey criticized the treatment Gilman received while detained, alleging physical torture and forced medication by Russian authorities.
Gilman's release is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to bring home Americans detained abroad. Trump emphasized the importance of this initiative and noted that Gilman's release was granted on humanitarian grounds without any exchange of prisoners. The State Department confirmed that Gilman's return was not part of a prisoner swap and expressed hope that it might facilitate the release of other wrongfully detained Americans.