“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,” Reed’s family said in a statement.
Reed’s release is part of a prisoner swap for Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on her official Telegram channel.
President Joe Biden confirmed the release.
“Today, we welcome home Trevor Reed and celebrate his return to the family that missed him dearly. Trevor, a former US Marine, is free from Russian detention. 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,” Biden said in a statement.
Reed was sentenced to nine years in prison in July 2020 for endangering the “life and health” of Russian police officers in an altercation. Reed and his family have denied the charges against him.
Concerns about his health mounted in recent weeks, prompting his parents to stage a protest outside the White House last month to bring awareness to their son’s case. Biden subsequently met with the parents to discuss efforts to bring Reed home.
This story is breaking and will be updated.