The family of former US Marine Trevor Reed says he has been released from Russian custody.
“Our family has been living a nightmare. Today, our prayers have been answered and Trevor is safely on his way back to the United States,” the family said in a statement.
“We’d respectfully ask for some privacy while we address the myriad of health issues brought on by the squalid conditions he was subjected to in his Russian gulag,” the family continued, although they did not specify how many days Reed was detained.
They thanked US President Joe Biden “for his kindness, his consideration, and for making the decision to bring Trevor home,” adding that Biden’s action “may have saved Trevor’s life.”
Biden also confirmed Reed’s release, saying he had shared the news with his family.
“Today, we welcome home Trevor Reed and celebrate his return to the family that missed him dearly. Trevor, a former U.S. Marine, is free from Russian detention,” Biden said in a statement. “I heard in the voices of Trevor’s parents how much they’ve worried about his health and missed his presence. And I was delighted to be able to share with them the good news about Trevor’s freedom.”
Reed’s release came due to a prisoner swap for Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on her official Telegram channel.
“The negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly. His safe return is a testament to the priority my Administration places on bringing home Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad,” Biden said.
He went on to call for the release of detained security director Paul Whelan, who was first arrested in 2018, saying he would not “stop until Paul Whelan and others join Trevor in the loving arms of family and friends.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also welcomed the release of Reed in a statement Wednesday “while continuing to call for the release of wrongfully detained” Whelan.
“We also remain committed to securing the freedom of all U.S. nationals wrongfully detained abroad,” he said.