Written By Lisa Murimi
Three American citizens, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, are slated to be released from Russian custody under a significant prisoner exchange deal set to occur on Thursday.
US Marine veteran Paul Whelan and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva will also be part of the swap, confirmed by a senior US official.
The exchange will involve a total of 24 prisoners held across Russia, the US, Germany, and three other Western nations.
Eight Russian nationals, including individuals with suspected links to Russian intelligence, are expected to be returned to Russia. Among them is Vadim Krasikov, a colonel in Russia’s FSB intelligence service, serving a life sentence in Germany for the 2019 murder of a Kremlin opponent.
The deal follows days of speculation about a major international swap, particularly after several high-profile dissidents and journalists in Russia were moved to undisclosed locations.
This has led to speculation that Kremlin opponent Vladimir Kara-Murza and others like Ilya Yashin and Oleg Orlov might also be released.
This potential exchange, if completed, would mark one of the largest swaps between Russia and the West in recent history.
