{
  "id": 581083,
  "title": "Russia frees ailing ex-US marine after Putin’s ‘goodwill’ pardon",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/russia-frees-ailing-ex-us-marine-after-putins-goodwill-pardon",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-11T15:09:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3363694/russia-frees-ailing-ex-us-marine-after-putins-goodwill-pardon"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Tuesday, Russian authorities released Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old former U.S. Marine who had been imprisoned in Russia since 2022. The decision came after President Vladimir Putin approved the pardon for the ailing American, citing humanitarian reasons, according to US officials. The White House and State Department had previously urged Moscow to release Gilman so he could receive medical treatment in the United States.\n\nMr. Gilman, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from August 2019 to August 2020, was arrested in January 2022 in Voronezh, Russia, for allegedly kicking a police officer while drunk. However, his father, Vladimir Gilman, who had emigrated to Massachusetts from Russia, claimed that the charges were false; his son had fallen ill and accidentally kicked the officer. The officer was uninjured and dropped the charges without presenting evidence at the trial. As a result, Robert Gilman was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.\n\nUpon his release, Gilman was transported from Russia to Washington Dulles Airport on a State Department plane. According to a US official who spoke to Gilman, he was walking and talking upon arrival, and would be evaluated by four doctors. The official added that Gilman's mother, Nina, was also with him on the flight. Once in Dulles, Gilman would be greeted by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, Deputy National Security Adviser Sebastian Gorka, and other officials, before being flown to a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, Texas, for medical treatment.",
  "summary": "Moscow on Tuesday freed a former US marine jailed in Russia since 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a pardon for the ailing American based on humanitarian reasons, US officials said. The White House and the State Department had urged Moscow to release Robert Gilman, 32, so he could receive medical treatment in the United States. Gilman was being held in a prison in Voronezh,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 12,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "Former US Marine held in Russia for more than 4 years has been released, his advocates say",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/former-us-marine-held-in-russia-for-more-than-4-years-has-been",
        "published": "2026-08-11T15:23:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "Russia releases former US Marine reported in poor health",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/russia-releases-former-us-marine-reported-in-poor-health",
        "published": "2026-08-11T15:35:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "Former U.S. Marine held in Russia for more than 4 years has been released, advocates say",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/former-u-s-marine-held-in-russia-for-more-than-4-years-has-been",
        "published": "2026-08-11T15:44:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News (US)",
        "title": "Former US Marine Robert Gilman released from detention in Russia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/former-us-marine-robert-gilman-released-from-detention-in-russia",
        "published": "2026-08-11T16:09:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "Russia frees ex-US marine after four years imprisonment on disputed charges",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/russia-frees-ex-us-marine-after-four-years-imprisonment-on-disputed",
        "published": "2026-08-11T17:02:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Russia releases ailing ex-US Marine after 4 years in prison",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/russia-releases-ailing-ex-us-marine-after-4-years-in-prison",
        "published": "2026-08-11T17:06:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Former US Marine Robert Gilman released from detention in Russia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/former-us-marine-robert-gilman-released-from-detention-in-russia-589270",
        "published": "2026-08-11T17:45:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Times of Israel",
        "title": "Russia frees former US marine jailed for more than 4 years",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/russia-frees-former-us-marine-jailed-for-more-than-4-years",
        "published": "2026-08-11T19:38:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ukrinform - Politics",
        "title": "Russia releases former US Marine from prison, Trump thanks Putin",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/russia-releases-former-us-marine-from-prison-trump-thanks-putin",
        "published": "2026-08-11T19:39:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "KahawaTungu",
        "title": "Russia releases former US Marine reported in poor health",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/russia-releases-former-us-marine-reported-in-poor-health-601207",
        "published": "2026-08-11T20:51:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Russia frees former US Marine amid health fears",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/russia-frees-former-us-marine-amid-health-fears",
        "published": "2026-08-11T21:36:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}