Russia Agrees to Release Three US Prisoners: On Thursday, reports stated that Russia will soon release three US prisoners that also include Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
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The US official noted that Gershkovich, US Marine veteran Paul Whelan, and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva will be released from the Russian prison under a prisoner exchange deal between Russia and the Biden administration.
Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza are coming home. pic.twitter.com/wWGA83Ss8A
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 1, 2024
However, there are no updates or announcements when these prisoner exchange deal will happen but it is expected soon.
Whelan and Gershkovich were both arrested by Russian and were accused of spying, however the US consistently denied the spying charges but still they were imprisoned.
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On the other hand, the radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva who was is an American and Russian citizen was imprisoned and was accused of spreading false rumors.
Russia Agrees to Release three US Prisoners In Exchange For Its 10 Prisoners
According to the official reports, the deal will include a total an exchange of 26 prisoners who are held in Russia, US, Germany and three other Western countries.
The US official said that a total 8 prisoners will be released and return to Russia and among the 8 prisoners several of them have ties to Russian intelligence.
German officials reported one of them is Vadim Krasikov, who was the colonel in Russia’s FSB intelligence service.
Among other 7 prisoners, some of them were given life sentences for the murder of Kremlin opponent in a Berlin park in 2019.
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In a statement, State deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “I don’t want to speculate on any reasoning. What I can say is that the United States continues to be focused on working around the clock to work to get our wrongfully detained American citizens home. And that continues to be the case, but no updates beyond that.”
Turkey’s presidency reported the deal involves an exchange of 26 prisoners held across several countries such as the US, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.
The presidency further said that the deal will include 10 prisoners that include two minors will be released and return to Russia, 13 prisoners will be return to Germany and 3 to United States.
The two minors are identifies as an couple named Artyom Dultsev and Anna Dultseva, who were recently accused for spying charges in Slovenia.
The official reports stated that the prisoners who are going to be returned are taken to safe locations through aircrafts under the control of Turkish security officials and then from there they will be moved to their respective countries.
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The prisoner exchange deal comes after several discussion between countries especially after some dissidents and journalists who are imprisoned in Russia were moved to unknown locations.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is of both Russian and British origin and is an murderer of the Kremlin went missing and his whereabouts are unknown which led to the speculation that he has been released.
Russian opposition leader Ilya Yashin and human rights activist Oleg Orlov are who are expected to be on the list.
If this deal becomes successful then it will become the first biggest settlement between Russia and the West.
In 2022, a similar prisoner exchange took place on the tarmac at Abu Dhabi airport where US basketball star Brittney Griner who was held in Russia was traded for Viktor Bout, a dangerous Russian arms dealer who was imprisoned in American jail for 12 years.
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