The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has signed a historic swap operation involving the mutual exchange of 26 people in prisons in the USA, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus. As part of the operation, 10 people, including 2 children, were transferred to Russia, 13 people to Germany and 3 people to the USA. A husband and wife with two children working for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service also took part in the historic swap.
TWO JOURNALISTS, ONE SOLDIER, THREE PEOPLE RETURNED TO THE USA
One of them is Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, whose name is frequently heard in the world public opinion.
He was arrested on espionage charges in March 2023 while working as a reporter in Russia for the newspaper. The Russian prosecutor’s office charged Evan Gershkovich with “collecting secret information about the activities of a defense company engaged in the production and repair of military equipment in the Sverdlovsk region.”
Gershkovich became the first foreign media worker in Russian history to be arrested on espionage charges. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison by Russia at the time of the swap talks.
Another person who was detained in Russia and handed over to the US in the swap operation is Paul Whelan, a former Marine. Paul Whelan, who served in the US Marine Corps for 8 years, was arrested in Moscow in 2018 on charges of “espionage.”
In 2022, Whelan was considered to be exchanged for Viktor Bout, who has been in prison in the US for 10 years for illegal arms trafficking and terrorist financing, but Paul Whelan’s name was not on the exchange list. This incident caused the Biden government to receive a huge backlash from the public.
Another journalist extradited to the US was Alsu Kursmasheva, who holds US and Russian citizenship. Alsu Kursmasheva was detained at the airport while trying to return to the Czech Republic from Russia, where she went for family reasons, in May 2023. She was convicted of “failure to report being a foreign worker to the state” and “disinformation.”
SAVED FROM THE DEATH PENALTY
Rico Krieger, who worked for the Red Cross, was detained in Belarus during the Russia-Ukraine war. Rico Krieger claimed he went to Belarus as a tourist, but according to Russia this was a cover for espionage. According to Russia, Rico Krieger was involved in the Ukrainian security services.
Rico Krieger, who was convicted on six separate charges, was sentenced to death in Belarus on June 24, 2024, on charges of “terrorism and mercenary service.” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned Rico Krieger. Krieger returned to Germany two days after being pardoned, via an exchange operation in Turkey.
NAVALNY’S CLOSE ALLY EXTRADED
Another important name who returned to Germany during the historic exchange was Ilya Yashin. Yashin, a Russian citizen, served as the Mayor of Krasnoselsky.
Yashin, a close ally of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and an opposition politician, was convicted in December 2022 for spreading “false information” about the Russian military.
PUTIN’S OPPOSITION KARA MURZA RETURNED TO GERMANY
Vladimir Kara-Mruza, one of the biggest opponents of Russian President Putin, was also one of the important names who returned to Germany in the swap operation in Turkey.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison, was arrested in April 2022 on charges of spreading “false information” about the Russian military, cooperating with an “undesirable organization” and treason.
The sentence given to Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was poisoned twice and nearly killed, was widely condemned by the international community. While in prison, Vladimir Kara-Murza also wrote articles for the Washington Post.
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER RETURNS TO RUSSIA
Vadim Krasikov, an important figure for Russia, was the only name brought from Germany in the swap operation. Vadim Krasikov was sent to Berlin after receiving special training by the FSB to kill Chechen opposition fighter Zelimkhan Khangaoshvili, whom Russian President Putin called a terrorist.
Vadim Krasikov was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Khangaoshvili in Germany in 2019. Putin later described Vadim Krasikov as a “patriot,” although he initially denied any links to Russia when he was caught.
Before his death, Vadim Krasikov was also considered to be exchanged for opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
THERE WAS ALSO A FAMILY WITH TWO CHILDREN WHO RETURNED TO RUSSIA
A story that was the subject of a TV series has become a reality. A husband and wife with two children working for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service also took part in the historical exchange.
SVR employees Artem Dultsev and Anna Duldseva were caught in Slovenia with fake Argentine passports. Using the alias Maria Rosa Mayer Munoz, Anna Dultseva was posing as an art gallery owner in Slovenia.
The family, who were brought from Slovenia with their two children, were handed over to Russian authorities in a swap operation. (NTV)