Minnesota Man Freed After Being Detained in Russia for 10 Days: Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks during a hearing in Washington on June 15, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

An American man who had been detained by Russian forces has been freed, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) announced on March 25.

Klobuchar’s office said that Tyler Jacob, a Minnesota native living in Ukraine, had been taken by Russian forces two weeks ago while attempting to leave Ukraine.

“I am relieved that Tyler is safely reunited with his wife and daughter. Over the last two weeks, my team and I have been in close contact with his family, the State Department, and the U.S. embassy in Moscow working towards this outcome, and I am grateful that we were able to help bring him to safety,” said Klobuchar in a written statement.

Klobuchar’s office did not provide details regarding what Jacob was doing in Ukraine, but WCCO-TV CBS Minnesota reports that he was teaching English in Ukraine when the Moscow-led invasion began on Feb. 24.

The Epoch Times has contacted Klobuchar’s office for comment.

Jacob was detained and held for 10 days, Klobuchar’s office said, adding that she had “worked closely” with his family, the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to track down Jacob and “bring him to safety.”

Klobuchar did not provide details regarding exactly how she and U.S. officials had secured his release.

Jacob has since been reunited with his wife and daughter, according to Klobuchar’s office.

“While this is good news, my heart remains with all those separated from their loved ones or in danger. As Vladimir Putin continues his senseless war, our commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine is steadfast,” Klobuchar said.

Jacob’s mother, Tina Hauser, called her son’s detainment a “harrowing experience” and “a parent’s worst nightmare” while thanking Klobuchar and other officials for their support in finding Jacob.

His father, John Quinn, told CBS Minnesota that Jacob had relocated from the city of Winona, Minnesota, to Ukraine in the summer of 2021 to teach English in the port city of Kherson.

Kherson, a large and strategically important city about 100 miles northwest of Crimea, was seized by Russian troops early in the invasion, making it the first major city to come under Russian control.

While attempting to board an evacuation bus for foreigners headed to Turkey, Jacob—who was reportedly the only American on board the bus—was stopped by Russian soldiers at a checkpoint in Crimea and promptly detained.

“Many thanks to Amy Klobuchar and her staff for day and night attention to getting Tyler to safety. My heart goes out to the many families that are still enduring the horror in Ukraine,” Quinn said.

Meanwhile, Markian Lubkivskyi, an adviser to the Ukrainian defense minister, said on March 26 that he believed the country’s military would retake Kherson on that very day.

“We have finished in the last two days the operation in the Kyiv region so other armed forces are now focused on the southern part trying to get free Kherson and some other Ukrainian cities,” he said.

On March 25, a senior U.S. Defense Department official said that the city was once again a “contested” area as Russian troops were no longer in full control after Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack.