Marine Veteran Robert Gilman Returns to U.S., Requests Cheeseburger

Photos and video footage appeared Wednesday confirming Marine veteran Robert Gilman had finally touched down on American soil after his release from Russian custody. The images show the U.S. citizen who was arrested in Voronezh, Russia, on Jan. 17, 2022, stepping back into life following 1,666 days behind bars. He walked out free thanks to humanitarian grounds rather than a prisoner swap deal. President Donald Trump announced Gilman would arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., late Tuesday night. After talking with the veteran directly, Trump noted he had just one request, A GREAT cheeseburger when he landed.

Sebastian Gorka, a deputy assistant to the president, posted on X early Wednesday sharing footage of the aircraft coming to a stop near the tarmac. "Our Marine is safely back on American soil," Gorka wrote in his update. He noted that Steve Witkoff brought Robert Gilman cheeseburgers and milkshakes as President Trump promised. "(I snuck him a cigar for when he's fully recovered!)," Gorka added to the post. A member of the broader White House team also delivered his own USMC flag. There are very few jobs like this one, he said. No American left behind.

Witkoff, who serves as the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, called it a "special night welcoming an American citizen home to his family and country." He thanked POTUS for never leaving anyone behind in a separate statement. Witkoff shared an image of him standing with Gorka alongside Gilman on the plane right after landing. Robert is a patriot, a former United States Marine who served our country with honor, Witkoff said. He can now finally return to his family and receive the medical care he needs. His return stands as another testament to POTUS's extraordinary leadership and unwavering commitment to bringing Americans home. Under his leadership, Marc Fogel and Ksenia Karelina were also brought home from Russia.

Gilman faced a hard road inside the prison system. He was convicted in 2022 of assaulting a police officer and initially received a sentence of three and a half years. His troubles in custody grew worse in 2024 when he was found guilty by Russia of attacking a prison inspector during a cell check, assaulting an investigator, and beating another guard. In December 2025, Russia once again extended Gilman's prison sentence after a regional court found him guilty of a new assault on prison staff. However, the U.S. State Department referred to Gilman as a wrongful detainee throughout his ordeal.

Gilman is the third U.S. Marine taken prisoner in Russia in the last decade, following the detention of Paul Whelan in 2018 and Trevor Reed in 2019. Both were later released in prisoner swaps involving other detainees. After discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia agreed to release him very much on a Humanitarian Basis, Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social. We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return, No exchange took place. Robert Gilman has been reunited with his wonderful mother, Nancy, who is also on the plane with him, and will soon get to see all of his loved ones. Fox News' Emma Bussey, Robert McGreevy, Gillian Turner, Nick Kalman and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.