Freed Americans in Russian prisoner swap now back on US soil
American reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan were among four former prisoners released from Russia yesterday who finally stepped foot on American soil again Thursday night.
A plane carrying the Americans freed by Russia during the large prisoner swap landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, greeted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on the tarmac.
“Welcome home,” Biden told reporters on the tarmac after visiting with the freed prisoners. “There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we work together. Nothing…we’re the United States of America.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, veteran Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva were the three freed Americans, as well as American green-card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza.
The quartet of released prisoners didn’t speak to reporters, but rather were greeted and hugged by loved ones. Gershkovich was seen hugging several people, many who may have been colleagues from the Wall Street Journal. The newly-released prisoners are now scheduled to fly to San Antonio, Texas, for further medical evaluation.
While addressing reporters, Harris stepped in and said, “This is an extraordinary day. I’m very thankful for our president and what he has done. This is an incredible day, and you can see it in the families.”
President Joe Biden greets Paul Whelan, who was released from detention in Russia, upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., August 1, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)
Gershkovich, a 32-year-old reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested on March 29, 2023, while reporting on a trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. He was accused of espionage.
Whelan was jailed in December 2018 for espionage-related charges that he and the U.S. government disputed from the beginning.
In the swap of 24 prisoners across multiple countries, Russia negotiated the release of eight prisoners who were in U.S. custody in exchange for the release of the Americans.
The released prisoners who were previously held captive in the U.S. were Vadim Krasikov from Germany; Artem Viktorovich Dultsev from Slovenia; Anna Valerevna Dultseva from Slovenia; Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin from Norway; Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov from Poland; Roman Seleznev from the U.S.; Vladislav Klyushin from the U.S.; and Vadim Konoshchenock from the U.S.