Schumer, Senators Call On Trump Admin To Escalate Efforts To Rescue U.S. Nationals Detained In Russia

Following The Release Of Robert Gilman After 1666 Days, Senators Fight For Five Others Who Remain In Captivity

Senators Push Admin To Use All Diplomatic, Economic, And Political Tools To Secure Detainees’ Release

Schumer: “We Need To Get These Americans Home”

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democratic colleagues urge the Trump administration to escalate efforts to rescue U.S. nationals held in Russian custody and develop a clear and comprehensive plan to secure the release of American detainees.

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) urged the Trump administration to employ all diplomatic, economic, and political means available to secure the release of five U.S. nationals who have been detained by Russia – multiple of whom have been detained for more than four years. In the years following Russia’s illegal incursion into Ukraine, Russia has wrongfully detained multiple visiting U.S. nationals, sentencing them to years of detention with little to no evidence of criminality and using their detainment as leverage over the United States.

After reports that Robert Gilman, a U.S. marine veteran detained in Russia since 2022, was “unresponsive” and “at risk of dying” from mistreatment, the United States announced that he had been released from captivity. However, at least five other Americans remain imprisoned in Russia. On the heels of Gilman’s release, the Senators demanded that the Trump administration do everything possible to bring home every American being detained in Russia.

Despite their wrongful detainment, at least five Americans in Russian custody have yet to be officially designated as such by the Trump administration, hindering the fight to bring them home. Under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (“Levinson Act”), an official “wrongful detainment” designation would ensure additional legal and social protections and would strengthen the U.S.’s negotiating position to secure the hostages’ return. The five Americans – as well as their friends and families – have suffered immense emotional, financial, and legal hardship while fighting for release, and the “wrongful detainee” designation would provide critical resources to the families fighting for their loved ones’ freedom.

“We are united in the belief that the safe we return of U.S. nationals detained abroad must remain a priority of the United States government,” wrote the Senators. “We are deeply concerned that the current Administration has yet to utilize the authorities outlined in the Levinson Act to designate the U.S. nationals detained by the Russian Federation as wrongful detainees and elevate their cases to SPEHA. This valuable tool would maximize U.S. government coordination and advance negotiations to ensure their swift release, as well as provide needed resources to the families as they advocate for their loved ones.”

As of August 12, 2026, the following individuals have been held in Russian custody:

1. Andre Khachatoorian – 1,688 days
2. David Barnes – 1,671 days
3. Olga Jezler – 1,506 days
4. Alexsandr Antonov – 524 days
5. Chuck Zimmerman – 420 days

“My heart breaks for these five Americans who are trapped, away from their families, confined in a Russian prison. These are people who have had their futures taken from them, all to be used as a pawn in a larger conflict. Olga – a New Yorker – was visiting her sister, helping her as she underwent cancer treatment and now could have 10 years of her life stolen from her,” said Leader Schumer. “It is incumbent on the United States and our government to explore every possible avenue and use every available tool to get these Americans home. We need to get these Americans reunited with their loved ones as soon as possible and critical to that is formally classifying them as ‘wrongfully detained,’ which the administration to this point has failed to do.”

Specifically, the Senators urged the administration to:

1. Continue to demand and ensure adequate consular access to all U.S. nationals held in Russian detention.
2. Expedit the consideration and employment of the “wrongful detention” designation as intended under the Levinson Act and subsequent legislation that has expanded the Levinson Act, including continued communication with Congress on the criteria and deliberations of such designations.
3. Have a plan and path forward to secure the release of U.S. nationals currently detained in the Russian Federation outside of stalled negotiations related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or broader issues in the U.S.-Russia bilateral relationship.
4. Consider of the use of the State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention designation that has already been used on other repeat offender nations, including Iran and Afghanistan.

Leader Schumer has led efforts to free wrongful detainees held by the Russian government, both during the Russian-Ukraine conflict and before. In 2023, Leader Schumer worked with then-Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to condemn the wrongful detention of Wall Street Journal Reporter, Evan Gershkovich. Earlier this year, Leader Schumer and the NY delegation wrote to Secretary Rubio, demanding that the administration work to free Olga Jezler.

The full text of the letter can be seen here.

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