In a major prisoner exchange between Russia and the West on Thursday, the former has freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Along with Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan was also released by Russia, Both were accused by the authorities of espionage.
Reportedly, both men were transported to destinations outside of Russia. In exchange, the US and its allies were also set to return Russian prisoners held by them.
The US has long been negotiating with Russia to secure the release of Gershkovich and Whelan, both detained ‘wrongfully’ by Moscow. The details of the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War in 1991 are kept highly confidential by the authorities.
According to Turkey’s presidency, 26 people from prisons in seven different countries were exchanged at Ankara airport.
Eight Russians held in the West were returned to Russia. Russian assassin Vadim Krasikov, who has been held in a German prison since 2019 for the murder of a Chechen exile in Berlin was also released. Krasikov is described as a colonel with Russia’s Federal Security Service. Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin and German Rico Krieger were also named in the statement.
Also, Russian 'illegal' spies arrested in Norway and Slovenia were swapped.
"Our organisation has undertaken a major mediation role in this exchange operation, which is the most comprehensive of the recent period," the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) said in a statement.
Turkey's presidency said 10 prisoners, including two minors, had been moved to Russia, 12 to Germany and three to the US.
In a major exchange in 2010, 14 prisoners were exchanged. In December 2022, Russia traded U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, sentenced to nine years for having vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage, for arms dealer Viktor Bout, serving a 25-year sentence in the US.