Overview
- Robert Gilman boarded a U.S. State Department plane on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, accompanied by his mother and U.S. personnel, and is being evaluated by doctors during the flight to the United States.
- U.S. officials said Putin approved a humanitarian pardon to permit Gilman’s release and that Russia did not demand any U.S. prisoners or other concessions in return.
- Family members and advocates reported that Gilman had deteriorated into a reported 'dissociative stupor,' was tube‑fed and hospitalized after alleged harsh treatment in custody.
- Gilman was arrested in Voronezh in January 2022, was initially sentenced for an alleged assault on a police officer, and Russian courts later extended his term to roughly 10 years amid additional convictions that his family disputes.
- After arrival in the U.S. Gilman is to be flown to a rehabilitation and military medical facility in Texas for ongoing treatment, and U.S. officials say the case will keep pressure on Moscow over other Americans held in Russia.