High-stakes US-Russia prisoner swap: Who was exchanged and why?

In an unprecedented move, the United States and Russia completed a 24-person prisoner swap, marking the largest exchange since the Soviet era. Among those freed was Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested by the Federal Security Service in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on espionage charges. Accused of gathering information on Uralvagonzavod, Russia's largest tank producer, Gershkovich faced serious allegations of being recruited by the CIA.

To facilitate the swap, Russia secured the release of its nationals convicted of severe crimes in the West. Notably, Putin's top demand, Vadim Krasikov, was included. Krasikov, a former FSB officer, was convicted for the assassination of Chechen exile Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin. Additionally, deep-cover spies Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva, posing as an Argentinian couple, and Vladislav Klyushin, a businessman tied to a $90m insider-trading scheme, were also part of the exchange.

President Vladimir Putin greeted the returning ex-prisoners at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. Hours later, President Biden joined the families of the US citizens as they returned home, marking a significant moment in international diplomacy.

#biden #putin #russia #america #prison

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