Watch as historic prisoner swap between Russia and US gets underway on Turkish runway - as WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich and ex-Marine Paul Whelan are finally set to be released

A historical captive switch betwixt Russia and nan US has begun connected a Turkish runway, with Wall Street Journal newsman Evan Gershkovich and erstwhile U.S. marine Paul Whelan group to beryllium dramatically released.

The men were fto spell alongside respective different US citizens, including Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmashevas, arsenic portion of a awesome inmate switch pinch Moscow, involving 20-30 prisoners.

The speech took spot successful nan Turkish superior of Ankara. The state has antecedently played a domiciled successful US-Russian captive exchanges.

Gershkovich, 32, was detained successful March 2023 on espionage charges that nan United States says are illegitimate. He was sentenced to 16 years successful situation successful July.

Whelan, 54, has been imprisoned successful Russia since 2018 and was sentenced to 16 years successful jailhouse successful 2020 connected spying charges. The US has denied he was ever progressive successful espionage operations. 

Radio journalist Kurmasheva was arrested successful October past twelvemonth and charged pinch failing to registry arsenic a overseas agent. 

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian-British dissident journalist besides jailed successful Russia, was besides reported to person vanished from view, prompting speculation he is among those released.

Kara-Murza, 42, was arrested successful April 2022 conscionable hours aft a CNN question and reply was broadcast successful which he stated Russia was run by a 'regime of murderers'.

He was sentenced to 25 years successful a Siberian jailhouse successful a mini reward compartment conscionable 10 feet agelong and 5 feet wide.

Four Russians detained successful nan US on charges including cyber crime, smuggling and money laundering were thought to perchance beryllium portion of nan exchange.

The Moscow Times reported nan individuals precocious vanished from nan national inmates' database successful America. 

Although specifications of precisely who has been released person not been made nationalist yet. 

The Kremlin has antecedently pushed for nan merchandise of convicted assassin Vadim Krasikov successful erstwhile captive swaps, raising speculation that he could beryllium among those freed.

It comes aft Slovenian broadcaster, N1 Slovenia, reported connected a imaginable woody being struck earlier this week.

The reports cited an speech including nan US, Germany, Russia and Belarus.

If nan claims of up to 30 prisoners being exchanged are true, it would beryllium nan largest captive switch betwixt nan United States and Russia since nan extremity of nan Cold War. 

According to nan anonymous root cited by nan Moscow Times, Russian authorities person made 'great efforts to support nan accusation wrong Russia arsenic overmuch a concealed arsenic imaginable until nan past moment.'

The developments came arsenic precocious arsenic Wednesday, erstwhile Kremlin subject craft reportedly flew to isolated regions successful Russia wherever governmental prisoners are being held.

The US authorities has many times stated its committedness to freeing some men, who they opportunity were wrongfully detained.

The boy of Soviet emigres who settled successful New Jersey, Gershkovich was fluent successful Russian and moved to Russia successful 2017 to activity for The Moscow Times newspaper earlier being hired by nan WSJ successful 2022. 

He was nan first US journalist arrested connected spying charges successful Russia since nan Cold War. 

Russian prosecutors alleged that Gershkovich had gathered concealed accusation connected nan orders of nan US Central Intelligence Agency astir a institution that manufactures tanks for Moscow's warfare successful Ukraine, which he and his employer denied.

Officers of nan FSB information work arrested him connected March 29, 2023, astatine a steakhouse successful Yekaterinburg, 900 miles eastbound of Moscow. He had since been held successful Moscow's Lefortovo prison.

Whelan, a firm information executive from Michigan, was arrested successful 2018 successful Moscow, wherever he was attending a friend's wedding. 

He maintains his innocence, saying nan charges were fabricated.

Details astir nan conditions some men person been facing down bars are scant and successful caller days, Whelan's lawyer said she had mislaid way of wherever he was being housed.

His family antecedently told really he had been attacked successful situation astatine nan remote IK-17 campy successful Mordovia by an inmate who allegedly punched him successful his look and collapsed his glasses. 

US officials person many times accused Russia of utilizing Gershkovich and Whelan arsenic bargaining chips for a imaginable captive exchange.

Russia antecedently pushed for nan merchandise of former Federal Security Service (FSB) colonel Krasikov successful captive negotiations astir nan merchandise of US hoops prima Brittney Griner, who was detained connected supplier possession charges.

Krasikov was convicted of gunning down a Georgia-born Chechen separatist successful wide daylight successful a cardinal Berlin parkland successful June 2019.

He rode up to his unfortunate connected a bicycle and executed him successful Berlin's Kleine Tiergarten parkland successful December 2021. A German tribunal called it a 'state-contracted killing.' 

Griner was yet released successful speech for arms trader Viktor Bout.