Among the ten Russians received by Putin at Vnukovo airport in Moscow on Thursday evening were two children of a Russian spy couple. The children have never set foot in Russia before and were told they were Russian only when they boarded the plane that would take them to Russia, according to Russian media.
The Kremlin headquarters now confirms that the convicted murderer Vadim Krasikov is an agent of the Russian security service FSB. At the same time, more information is coming about the Russians who were exchanged.
Among the ten Russians received by Putin at Vnukovo airport in Moscow on Thursday evening were two children of a Russian spy couple. The children have never set foot in Russia before and only learned that they were Russian when they got on the plane that would take them to Russia.
The children of the illegal intelligence agents found out they were Russians only when the plane left Ankara, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Russian journalists.
The term “illegal” in this context is used to describe Russian agents who in several cases lived abroad under false identities and sent intelligence information home to Moscow, writes the Russian independent newspaper The Moscow Times.
The children’s parents have been stationed in Slovenia for several years, under false Argentine identities. The children reportedly did not recognize Putin at the airport and asked their parents who met them. In a video from the airport, Putin can be heard addressing the children in Spanish.
The Kremlin confirms Krasikov’s role as an agent
Meanwhile, the Kremlin now confirms that another of the released Russian prisoners released in this week’s exchange, Vadim Krasikov, is an agent of the Russian security service FSB. In 2021, Krasikov was convicted in Germany of murdering a Chechen in a park in Berlin on the orders of Russian security services.