FSB / TASS / Profimedia The prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries at Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport on August 1, 2024. Thursday’s historic prisoner swap between Russia and multiple Western countries saw Moscow release eight of its own citizens. Judging by reports from their relatives , at least some of the freed prisoners were not informed about the swap until right before it happened. Now they’re both free from prison and exiled from their own country — but is this exile official?

Former prisoners who were released as a result of exchange and arrived from Russia to Germany will be taken from the airport to the hospital. About this "Medusa" was told by a source surrounded by one of the former prisoners. According to him, in the hospital, former prisoners will stay on quarantine for several days. According to the Rain TV channel, they will probably be in the hospital until Sunday, August 4. Whether the liberated former prisoners will come out to the airport meeting them.

Freed Russian political prisoners’ loved ones react to their release Russia released 16 political prisoners on Thursday in the largest swap of its kind since the Cold War. The prisoners included U.S. and German citizens, but even more of them were Russian citizens jailed for opposing the Putin regime or the war in Ukraine. Below, Meduza has translated some of the first reactions from relatives and partners of these now-exiled Russians. Like it or not, events in Russia affect you, too.

The family of the correspondent The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich issued an application after the journalist was released as part of the exchange between Russia and the West. “We were waiting for Evan's liberation for 491 days, and it is difficult to describe how we feel today. We cannot wait until we can hug him stronger and see his sweet and brave smile. The most important thing now is to take care of Evan and be together again.

Mom was waiting for Pivovarova at home in St. Petersburg. Here is her interview AP / Scanpix / Leta Former Director of Open Russia Andrei Pivovarov is one of the first convicts under the article on the “implementation of the“ undesirable organization ”. He was arrested in 2021, and he was supposed to be released in September 2024.

What is the uniqueness of the current transaction? Why is Russian political prisoners to the West? And will they be able to return to their homeland? FSB / TASS / Profimedia exchange of prisoners between Russia and Western countries at Esenbog Airport in Ankara. August 1, 2024 The exchange of prisoners between Russia and the West turned out to be unprecedented in format and scale.

Vladimir Putin traveled to Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Thursday to greet the Russian citizens who were returned to the country as part of Russia’s historic prisoner exchange with the West. The meeting was broadcast live on Russian state TV. “First and foremost, I want to congratulate everyone on returning to your motherland,” the Russian president told the returnees.

The aircraft in which the Russian political prisoners are located, freed as part of the exchange between Russia and the West, landed at Cologne Airport. The Bild publication reports that the plane landed at 22:37 local time (23:37 Moscow time). This is also confirmed by the data of the Flightradar24 site. It is assumed that at the airport of the liberated political prisoners will be met, among other things, German Chancellor Olaf Sholts.

The Kremlin wants state media to spin Russia’s biggest prisoner swap with the West since the Cold War as no big deal The Putin administration has dashed off a brief memo advising Russian state-controlled and pro-Kremlin media on how to cover today’s historic prisoner swap . Though less detailed than the Kremlin’s usual media guidelines , the memo advises downplaying the importance of the exchange and depicting the political prisoners Russia handed over to the West as “superfluous” criminals.

Close to political prisoners - about their release Nadezhda Skochilenko Mother Sasha Skochilenko I am an ordinary person, neither in advance nor during the exchange I knew anything. A few days ago, when Sasha disappeared from the pre -trial detention center, I began to worry, there were already assumptions that they could have a new business on her. Only yesterday news began to appear that it could participate in the exchange of prisoners. I would like to see her as soon as possible.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met citizens of the Russian Federation, who were returned to the country as part of an exchange with the West. He came to meet them at Vnukovo Airport. The broadcast of the meeting was conducted by the Russia 24 TV channel. “First of all, I want to congratulate everyone on a return to their homeland. Now I want to turn to those who are related to military service.

The aircraft of the Russian flight squad with Russians, who, as a result of the exchange of prisoners with the West, returned to the Russian Federation, arrived from Ankara to the Moscow Airport Vnukovo-2, RIA Novosti and TASS reported. According to agencies, Russians who were convicted of espionage abroad, cooperation with the special services of the Russian Federation and other crimes are met with a red carpet and honorary guard.

US presidential candidate Donald Trump demanded to provide details about the exchange of prisoners between Russia on the one hand and the USA, Germany, as well as several more countries on the other. He suggested that the American government could pay for the deal. “So when are they [the White House] are going to publish the details of the exchange of prisoners with Russia? How many people we received for those we gave? Do we also pay them in cash?

Researcher of the special services Andrei Soldatov - about important aspects of a unique exchange Russia and the West made a unique exchange of prisoners in scale and composition. For the first time, not only the defendants in the “spy” cases were included in the exchange deal, but also several political activists convicted in Russia for anti -war statements or actions.

US Vice-President Kamal Harris called Julia Navalny to discuss the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Western countries and express her support to her, said FBK director Ivan Zhdanov. Harris noted the contribution of Alexei and Julia to the struggle for democratic Russia. In response, Julia thanked her for the assistance of the United States in the organization of exchange and called on the world community to promote the liberation of other Russian political prisoners.