Prisoner swap underway between US, Russia and other countries, senior official says

A prisoner exchange was underway between the United States, Russiaand other countries on Thursday, according to a senior Biden administration official.

The trade is a rare example of cooperation amid rising political tensions between the US and Russia, including over sanctions imposed on Russia and Russian authorities during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Relations between the two countries had been tense before the invasion, after Russian interference. in the 2016 elections and the annexation of Crimea.

The most high-profile American prisoners in Russia right now are Wall Street Journal reporters Evan Gershkovich and ex US Marine Paul Whelan. It is not confirmed that they are part of this exchange.

Gershkovich, 32, arrested in March 2023, was convicted of espionage by a Russian court this year and sentenced to 16 years in prison in July.

Whelan, 54, who has been detained since visiting Russia for a friend’s wedding in 2018, was also convicted of espionage and is serving a 16-year sentence in a penal colony.

Among the most high-profile prisoner swaps in recent years was the December 2022 trade of WNBA stars Brittney Griner to the notorious Russian arms dealer, Victor Batalhaan arms dealer known as the “Death Dealer”.

NBC reported in February that the The US had been working on a potential prisoner exchange involving Russians and Americans this could have included jailed Russian opposition leader Alexi Navalny, as well as Whelan and Gershkovich. But these efforts were halted after Navalny’s death it was announced on February 16.

This is a breaking story. Please check for updates.

This article was originally published in NBCNews. with