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PoliticsRussian Federation

Historic prisoner swap between Russia and the West

August 3, 2024

Russia and several Western countries exchanged 26 prisoners in the biggest swap since the height of the Cold War.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz awaits the arrival of Russian dissidents at Cologne/Bonn airport.
Image: Marvin Ibo Güngör/Bundesregierung/Getty Images

Prisoners exchanged between Russia, Belarus and several other Western countries have started to arrive in their home countries.

A total of 26 prisoners were released in the historic exchange, including Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan. German Rico Krieger, sentenced to death in Belarus, and Vadim Krasikov, a Russian national serving a life sentence in Germany, were also freed.

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