Prisoner swap: Putin greets killer Krasikov in friendly manner – photos

Prisoner swap between Russia and the West. Photo: RIA Novosti

As part of a prisoner exchange between Russia, the United States, Germany and three other countries that has began on Thursday, 1 August, eight Russians had been brought back to Russia late in the evening, including Vadim Sokolov (Krasikov), Vladislav Klyushin, Artem and Hanna Dultsev, Pavel Rubtsov, Vadim Konoshchenok, Mikhail Mikushin and Roman Seleznev (as well as children).

Source: Russian Kremlin-aligned media outlet RIA Novosti; BBC News Russian

Details: Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Kevin Leak, Demuri Voronin, Alsu Kurmasheva, Lilia Chanysheva, Vadim Ostanin, Ksenia Fadeyeva, Aleksandra Skochilenko, Andrei Pivovarov and Oleg Orlov left from Russia.

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While meeting the Russians at Vnukovo Airport, Putin greeted Krasikov with “What’s up” and hugged him. 

Krasikov is a former Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officer who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany for the murder of former Chechen field commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili.

Updated: One of the Russian prisoners arrived for the swap wearing a T-shirt featuring an Imperial Stormtrooper, an elite soldier of the Galactic Empire in the Star Wars universe, with the caption saying Your Empire needs you.

Photo: RIA Novosti

Background:

• On Thursday, Türkiye officially confirmed the exchange of 26 prisoners held in prisons in seven different countries: the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.
• Among others, The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and US Marine Paul Whelan, German citizen Rico Krieger, who was imprisoned in Belarus, and Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin were released.
• Among the 24 individuals involved in the exchange are opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza and Russian murderer Vadim Krasikov.

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