US confirms prisoner swap with Russia

A total of 26 people were traded in the biggest exchange since the Cold War, a statement from President Biden reads

Three American citizens and one US resident have been released by Russia as part of a prisoner exchange, President Joe Biden has said in a statement.

Several media outlets have reported on a swap, which began on Thursday afternoon in the Turkish capital, Ankara, but both Moscow and Washington had initially refrained from providing official comment.

”Today, three American citizens and one American green-card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home: Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza,” Biden’s statement said.

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