FSB confirms eight Russian citizens returned in prisoner swap

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has confirmed the return of eight Russian citizens released as part of a major prisoner exchange with Western countries on Thursday.

In a press release, the FSB said the individuals were “exchanged for a group of individuals who acted in the interests of foreign states to the detriment of the security of the Russian Federation.”

The Security Service did not disclose the names of the people who were freed, but noted that two children were also returned to Russia as part of the exchange. Following the swap, the Kremlin announced that President Vladimir Putin had signed decrees pardoning 13 prisoners “for the purpose of returning Russian citizens who were detained and imprisoned in foreign countries.”

Citing an unnamed source, the state news agency TASS said that Vadim Krasikov, Vladislav Klyushin, Artem Dultsev, Anna Dultseva, Pavel Rubtsov, Vadim Konoshchenok, Mikhail Mikushin, and Roman Seleznev were returned to Russia as part of the exchange. (You can read more about them here.)

Earlier on Thursday, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin would “hopefully” comment on the prisoner swap later today.