RUSSIA and the United States completed the biggest prisoner swap since the Cold War.
Turkiye led the operation, hailing it as a significant diplomatic breakthrough.
According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, 26 prisoners were exchanged between Russia, the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Belarus under the coordination of the Turkish Intelligence Organisation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted the returning Russian captives at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport, along with other top officials. The released Russians included a married couple with children and six other nationals.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also greeted the US citizens released from Russia.
President Biden and Vice President Harris Greet Americans Freed from Russia
Moscow released eight Russian nationals held in the US, Germany, Norway, Poland, and Slovenia, and two children, in return for people accused of acting against Russian security.
Key figures in the swap included Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan, and German national Rico Krieger.
Gershkovich was arrested last March for espionage and sentenced to 16 years. Whelan was arrested in 2018 for espionage, and Krieger, sentenced to death in Belarus for “mercenary activity” and “terrorism,” was later pardoned.
