U.S. Navy veteran released from Russian custody

U.S. Navy veteran Taylor Dudley was released from Russian custody Thursday, with help from the Richardson Center, founded by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (pictured). File Photo by Alexis C. Glenn/UPI Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (pictured) confirmed Thursday that U.S. Navy Veteran Taylor Dudley, who has been held in Russia since April, is now on the way home after lengthy negotiations. File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who worked on the deal to secure the return of Brittney Griner (pictured) from Russian custody, confirmed Thursday that U.S. Navy Veteran Taylor Dudley, who has been held in that country since April, has been released. Photo courtesy of Russian Federal Security Service After confirming the release from Russian custody of U.S. Navy veteran Thursday, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he and the non-profit center he founded, will continue working for the release of American Paul Whelan (pictured) who has been held in Russia since 2018. File Photo by Yuri Kochetkov/EPA-EFE

Jan. 12 (UPI) -- A former American serviceman detained in Russia since April, was released Thursday, his family said in a statement.

Navy veteran Taylor Dudley, 35, safely crossed into Poland after being released by Russian authorities at the Polish border.

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Dudley was originally detained in April while backpacking after he crossed the border from Poland into Russia.

A non-profit organization founded by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson helped secure Dudley's release. The Richardson Center promotes global peace and dialogue with countries and communities averse to formal diplomatic channels, according to its website.

"It is significant that despite the current environment between our two countries, the Russian authorities did the right thing by releasing Taylor today," Richardson said in a statement.

"The negotiations and work to secure Taylor's safe return were done discreetly and with engagement on the ground in both Moscow and Kaliningrad and with full support from Taylor's family back in the United States."

In Poland, Dudley was joined by a Richardson Center representative as well as his mother for the journey home.

"And as we celebrate Taylor's safe return, we remain very concerned for Paul Whelan and committed to continue to work on his safe return, as we have been for the last four years, as well as other Americans," Richardson said in the statement.

Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, remains in Russian custody. He has been there since he was arrested in a Moscow hotel in 2018 and later convicted of espionage charges.

The United States continues to assert that he is being wrongfully detained.

President Joe Biden has continually reaffirmed that he is committed to ending the former Marine's detainment in Russia.

U.S. officials failed in their attempts to have Whelan included in the December prisoner swap that brought WNBA star Brittney Griner home.

Griner's freedom was procured in a one-for-one prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia. In return for Griner, the United States released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The U.S. government attempted to secure the release of Griner and Whelan in exchange for Bout over the summer, but a deal could not be agreed upon.

Richardson said in a statement Thursday that he continues to push for Whelan's repatriation.