Russia released US journalist Evan Gershkovich as part of massive prisoner swap, reports claim

euronews (in English)

The highly speculated Russia-US prisoner swap also includes Russian-US journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, former US marine Paul Whelan, and Russian-British politician and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza.

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00:00Up to 26 Russian-held prisoners have been freed as part of the largest swap between

00:08Washington and the Kremlin since the Cold War.

00:11Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan are among

00:17the almost two dozen freed by Russian forces as part of the deal, according to the Turkish

00:22government.

00:23Footage released from the Ilis News Agency shows a plane believed to be used in the exchange

00:29idling on the tarmac at Ankara airport.

00:33Turkish officials state the multinational arrangement took place in the capital, with

00:37the trade occurring over years of back-channel negotiations.

00:41U.S. President Joe Biden lauded the deal, saying Russian authorities had arrested and

00:47tried U.S. citizens on quote show trials and sent them to prison with absolutely no legitimate

00:53reason.

00:55Although it is unclear which U.S.-held Russian prisoners will be released, Moscow has long

01:00been interested in retrieving Vadim Krasikov.

01:03Krasikov was convicted in Germany for killing a former Chechen rebel allegedly on the orders

01:09of Moscow's secret services.

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