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A high-profile prisoner swap between Russia and the West that may include jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich could take place today, according to reports.
The exchange, which could also see Kremlin assassins sent back to Russia, would be the largest prisoner exchange between Russia and the US in over a decade.
Mr Gershkovich, who was sentenced to 16 years on espionage charges by a Russian court last month, could return to the US as early as Thursday, Bloomberg reported. The Kremlin and Washington have not confirmed the swap.
Jailed Briton Vladimir Kara-Murza could also be released as part of the deal, as well as former US Marine Paul Whelan who has been detained since 2018.
It comes after a series of mysterious movements of prominent Western prisoners prompted speculation that Vladimir Putin had agreed to swap them for Russians held in the West.
Flight tracking site Flightradar24 showed that a special Russian government plane used for a previous prisoner swap, involving the United States and Russia, had flown from Moscow to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Gershkovich ‘set to be freed in Russia prisoner swap’
Welcome to The Independent’s live blog. The largest US-Russia prisoner swap since the Cold War could take place today, with jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich, Briton Vladimir Kara-Murza and former US Marine Paul Whelan set to be released.
It comes after a series of mysterious movements of prominent Western prisoners prompted speculation that Vladimir Putin had agreed to swap them for Russians held in the West.
Flight tracking site Flightradar24 showed that a special Russian government plane used for a previous prisoner swap, involving the United States and Russia, had flown from Moscow to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Follow our live updates for more.
Source: independent.co.uk
