US Navy veteran released from Russian custody after almost a year of being detained

An American Navy veteran who has been detained in Russia for nearly a year was released from Russian custody on Thursday, his family’s spokesperson told CNN, after months of negotiations headed by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. CNN reports that Taylor Dudley of Lansing, Michigan, was detained by Russian border patrol police in April 2022 after crossing from Poland into Kaliningrad, a territory governed by Russia between Poland and Lithuania. He was in Poland to attend a music festival, and it is unclear why he crossed the border.