24 prisoners exchanged between Russia and the West

A major prisoner swap between Russia and several Western countries saw the release of 24 prisoners on Thursday. The swap, which included US journalist Evan Gershkovich, took place at Ankara airport in Türkiye.

Seven planes carrying 26 people, including 24 prisoners and two minors, passed through Ankara airport on Thursday, said the Turkish presidency. The prisoners ​ are from the US, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.

The swap included US journalist Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan, both of whom had been sentenced in Russia to 16 years in prison for espionage. Russia secured the return of Vadim Krasikov, who was serving a life sentence in Germany for the murder of a Chechen separatist fighter.

Also among the prisoners was 19-year-old Kevin Lick, a German-born Russian high school student who was sentenced to four years in 2023 for state treason. Lick was alleged to have sent photographs of Russian troop deployments to a foreign state representative. 

'Feat of diplomacy'

The two minors involved in the swap are believed to be the children of Artem Doeltsev and Anna Doeltseva, a pair of suspected Russian spies who had lived undercover in Slovenia and were also part of the swap.

US president Joe Biden called the exchange, which involved three US citizens, a "feat of diplomacy". "Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony ends," he said.

At a brief White House press conference, Biden also thanked the other Western countries involved for making "bold and brave decisions", highlighting the important role played by Germany and Türkiye in reaching the agreement.

Russia also confirmed the swap on Thursday evening, with a Kremlin statement saying that president Vladimir Putin had officially pardoned 13 prisoners released on Thursday as part of the exchange.

^{US journalist Evan Gershkovich (L), former US Marine Paul Whelan (2R) and US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva (R) on a plane after their release from Russia on 1 August 2024 © PHOTO HANDOUT / US GOVERNMENT / AFP}