{
  "id": 596674,
  "title": "Diplomacy: US citizen released after years of Russian imprisonment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/diplomatie-us-burger-nach-jahrelanger-russischer-haft-freigelassen",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-11T19:03:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/diplomatie-us-buerger-nach-jahrelanger-russischer-haft-freigelassen/100246606.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "After more than four years in Russian custody, American Robert Gilman has been released, according to President Donald Trump. \"Following my conversations with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him on humanitarian grounds,\" Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social. He emphasized that there was no prisoner swap and that Moscow had not demanded anything in return.\n\nAccording to the non-profit organization Global Reach, which had been advocating for his release, Gilman was arrested on January 17, 2022. During his imprisonment, he was allegedly mistreated. \"On June 30, Robert was transferred from the prison hospital to a civilian hospital in Voronezh. Reports from hospital staff described Robert's condition as critical and life-threatening,\" it said.\n\nTrump said he spoke with Gilman, who wished for a \"good cheeseburger\" now that he was returning to the United States. According to Trump, Gilman was set to land at Joint Base Andrews military airfield near Washington on Tuesday evening (local time).\n\nGilman served in the United States Marine Corps, according to the non-profit Foley Foundation. He fell ill while on a train journey through Russia. Instead of receiving medical help, he was taken to a police station, where he was confronted with several charges.\n\nAccording to the state Russian news agency Tass, he was arrested at Voronezh station for drunkenness and aggressive behavior and allegedly hit a police officer at the station. He was initially sentenced to four and a half years in prison, which was later reduced by one year. However, due to further allegations of attacks on officials during his imprisonment, his sentence was extended by several years.\n\nThe organization Global Reach quoted Gilman's sister Lexie Hudson as saying: \"The Russians treated my brother so badly. They hurt him for no reason, just because he was American and a Marine.\"",
  "summary": "For years, Robert Gilman, a former US soldier, was held in Russian custody. President Trump is now celebrating the fact that Moscow has agreed to release him - allegedly without anything in return.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}