Marine veteran held in Russia since 2022 has been released, group says
A U.S. Marine veteran from Massachusetts who has been held in Russia for more than four years on disputed charges has been released.
Updated on: August 11, 2026 / 11:35 AM EDT / CBS/AP
Russia has released an American military veteran who spent more than four years in prison under abusive conditions and was said to be gravely ill and at risk of dying, a group advocating for him said Tuesday.
Robert Gilman is on his way to a U.S. military hospital in Texas, where he will be medically and psychologically assessed and treated, said Eric ‌Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach. The group has been working to free him and other American detainees abroad.
Gilman's family has flown to Texas to be with him, including his mother, who was in Russia attempting to see him at the hospital, the group said in a statement.
"I am so grateful to President Trump for saving my brother's life. There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action," Gilman's sister Lexie Hudson said.
Gilman, a 32-year-old teacher detained since 2022, was initially handed a 3 1/2-year sentence in 2022 when he was convicted of beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance.