Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

Three Americans have been released from Russian detention as part of a major prisoner exchange between the United States, Russia, and other countries.

What’s the deal: The prisoner swap that secured the release of three Americans—journalist Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, and radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva—resulted from lengthy negotiations lasting over six months. This exchange, involving 24 individuals, required the cooperation of multiple US government agencies and multiple countries, including Germany, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, and Turkey.

Who was swapped: In addition to the US prisoners, 12 political dissidents held in Russia, including prominent Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza, were released to Germany. In return, Russia received eight nationals, including Vadim Krasikov, a convicted murderer linked to Russian intelligence and held in Germany, as well as Russians held in Slovenia, Poland, and Norway. These individuals had known or suspected ties to Russian intelligence.

More on Whelan, Gershkovich, & Kurmasheva:

Paul Whelan

• Details: Held for 2,043 days after his arrest in December 2018 during a trip to attend a friend’s wedding, Paul Whelan, a Marine veteran, was charged with espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020; both he and the US government consistently denied the charges, labeling him a political pawn.

Evan Gershkovich

• Details: Detained for 491 days, Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was arrested in March 2023 while on assignment in Yekaterinburg, charged with espionage, and sentenced to 16 years in July 2024; his detention drew immediate condemnation from the US government, which labeled the accusations as baseless.

Alsu Kurmasheva

• Details: Held for over 9 months, Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained in June 2023 during a visit to her mother and charged with disseminating false information about Russia’s military; she was sentenced to six and a half years in a hurried secret trial in July 2024, leading to over nine months of harsh detention.

Americans still held: Despite the successful prisoner swap, other Americans remain imprisoned in Russia. Among them are Marc Fogel, a teacher, Michael Travis Leake, a musician, US Army Staff Sergeant Gordon Black, and Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina.