Eight Russians, including convicted spy and hitman Vadim Krasikov, will be returned to Russia as part of the prisoner swap that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine Paul Whelan, and nearly two dozen others detained in Russia.  

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said today that it “became clear” that the Kremlin would only consider a deal if returning Krasikov, a Russian spy who had been serving a life sentence in Germany, was on the table. 

The prisoner swap — which marks the largest of its kind since the Cold War — is being overseen by Turkish authorities and is taking place at Ankara airport in central Turkey. Other American prisoners being released include Russian-American journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Russian opposition politician, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a permanent resident here and a dual citizen of Russia and the United Kingdom.

President Biden has described the release of the detained Americans as an “incredible” relief, noting that “their brutal ordeal is over.” 

The news follows previous reports that several Russian political prisoners were transferred out of their cells to unknown locations, a move which often precipitates a prisoner exchange deal. 

Several Russian dissidents were among those reportedly moved from their cells, including Lilia Chanysheva, Ksenia Fadeyeva, Oleg Orlov, and Ilya Yashin. Mr. Whelan, who has been detained in Russia since 2018, had also been reported missing from his cell. 

Up until this morning, the White House wouldn’t confirm reports. “We do not negotiate in public. We cannot negotiate in public because we want to make sure we can get this job done,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday.

The sudden transfer comes a few weeks after the Wall Street Journal reporter, Mr. Gershkovich, was sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony on spying charges after a “sham” trial.  

The 32-year-old American journalist has been detained in Russia since his arrest in March 2023 while on a reporting assignment at Yekaterinburg. 

When asked last week about the possibility of a prisoner exchange, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded “I’m leaving that question without an answer.” Russian state media reported. “There is a charge of espionage, so this is a very, very sensitive area.”