Details began spilling out Thursday morning about the largest prisoner swap between the United States and Russia since the end of the Cold War.
Among those freed by Russia are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, President Biden confirmed in a statement. Others freed include Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen and journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a U.S. resident and prominent Russian opposition politician. Allies of the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny are reportedly included, as well.
Biden is expected to speak anytime on the exchange.
The Turkish presidential office, which helped facilitate the seven-country exchange, confirmed more than two dozen prisoners were part of the swap. Prisoners were released from the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus, with the exchange taking place in Ankara.
The prisoners freed by the West included Vadim Krasikov, a convicted Russian assassin, according to Turkey.
U.S. lawmakers have started releasing statements welcoming the exchange, though some have warned it may encourage Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s hostage-taking diplomacy.
Follow live updates throughout the day.
