MOSCOW: Russian President Putin gave Russian citizens released in an historic prisoner swap with the West a hero’s welcome on Thursday in Moscow, pledging them state awards and a conversation regarding their futures.
Around eight were returned to Moscow as part of the prisoner swap since the end of the Cold War, including Vladislav Klyushin, Vadim Krasikov, and Roman Seleznyov.
Among those Russia also got back: a Russian family, including their two children, whom a court in Slovenia convicted of pretending to be Argentinians to spy on the NATO and EU member country. The couple are believed to be “illegals” – deep-cover agents trained in order to impersonate foreigners, who spend years living overseas in their cover identities.
In return, American journalist Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan were among those freed by Russia in a complex agreement negotiated in secrecy for more than a year.
President Putin met the returnees at a Moscow airport and hugged them as they came off the plane onto a red carpet flanked by a Kremlin honour guard.
