Russia Releases Ex-US Marine Robert Gilman After 4 Years

Russia released former US Marine Robert Gilman from captivity on Tuesday, Aug. 11, freeing him from detention “for humanitarian reasons.”Gilman was found in extremely poor health, with Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey describing him as “essentially catatonic.” He was also battling a “severe case of pneumonia.”JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Gilman was flown on a US plane to Washington, DC, according to BBC News, citing Kirill Dmitriev, special envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin.“Approximately 50 days ago, Robert was diagnosed with a dissociative stupor – a condition where he is non-responsive and unable to interact or eat,” Markey said in his official statement.Four-year ordeal in Russian custodyGilman, originally from Massachusetts, was 28 when Russian authorities arrested him for allegedly kicking a police officer while intoxicated aboard a train to Voronezh.He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison, and his sentence was extended to 10 years in 2024 after Russian state media accused him of assaulting prison staff – a claim his family and advocacy groups have rejected.His father, Vladimir Gilman, has also denied the allegations.In 2024, he wrote an opinion piece explaining that his son became ill during the incident and accidentally kicked the officer, who was not injured and later dropped the complaint.“Throughout his detention, Robert was subjected to physical torture, forced medication, and provocations by Russian authorities,” Markey said. Other Topics of Interest Russian Strikes Hit Kramatorsk Church, Sloviansk Market, 4 Injured A Russian strike set fire to a church dome in Kramatorsk, while shelling of a central market in Sloviansk injured at least four people. “There is no doubt that his treatment by Russian authorities is the reason Robert is in this precarious state today,” he continued.According to his family, Gilman was forcefully injected with mind-altering substances that eventually led to his current deteriorating mental state.Health crisis prompted urgent calls for releaseBy late June, Gilman had been transferred from a prison hospital in the Voronezh region to the psychiatric ward of a civilian emergency hospital roughly 550 kilometers (about 342 miles) from Moscow, according to RBC-Ukraine.Advocacy group Global Reach and the Foley Foundation had warned on Aug. 7 that Gilman was near death, unable to communicate, and being fed through a tube, prompting the White House and State Department to press Moscow for his release on medical grounds.Family credits Trump for Gilman’s returnAccording to Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of the advocacy group Global Reach, Gilman’s family was denied access to visit him, despite Russian court orders allowing access.“I am more afraid for my brother than I have been since this horrible nightmare started,” Gilman’s sister, Lexie Hudson, said in her earlier statement.“There is no other reason that Robert is alive today, other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” she said on Tuesday, according to BBC News.Case had strained already tense relationsGilman was reportedly one of at least 10 Americans known to be held in Russian custody.His deteriorating condition had added to already strained US-Russia relations, burdened by the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict, as well as other diplomatic disputes.A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised Gilman’s case with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their meeting in Manila on July 23. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear how Lavrov responded.“I urge the Trump administration to use Robert’s case as motivation to continue to advocate for the release of others wrongfully detained in Russia and around the world,” Markey said, wishing Gilman a recovery “from this nightmare.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.