US prisoner Kalob Byers freed in Russia, Kremlin confirms
LONDON -- Kalob Byers, the 28-year-old American citizen detained in Russia on drug smuggling charges earlier this month, has been released from detention, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russia's RBK news agency on Monday.
"We also expect that on Tuesday we will be able to talk about restoring the entire range of Russian-American relations," Peskov said. "Accordingly, certain events can be viewed in this context."
The State Department on Tuesday confirmed to ABC News that Byers had been released.
"We have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad. We take seriously our commitment to protect U.S. citizens abroad and stand ready to provide consular assistance," a State Department official said. "The Russians turned Kalob Byers over after a few days, which is a welcome gesture. We hope they consider the same for Stephen Hubbard and Ksenia Khavana."
"We reiterate our strong warnings about the risk of detention for U.S. citizens in Russia. U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately, as stated in our Level 4 Do Not Travel Advisory for Russia," the official said.
The State Department had no further comment.
Byers' mother posted on social media on Sunday that she believed Kalob had already been released to the American Embassy in Moscow. She told ABC News she believes he will be on a flight to the U.S. on Monday.
ABC News' Victoria Beaule, Joe Simonetti and Shannon Kingston contributed to this report.
