Russia Prisoner Swap Involved an Assassin, a Hacker, Spies

He was assassinated on the orders of Moscow’s security services.

Roman Seleznev a prisoner part of the swap

Russia Prisoner Swap Involved: Vadim Konoshchenok

Vadim Konoshchenko, a Russian national accused of supplying U.S.-made electronics and ammunition to the Russian military, has been identified as the final detainee to be released from U.S. custody.

Last month, he was extradited from Estonia to the United States.

According to U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, “The defendant allegedly played a pivotal role in a scheme aimed at supplying sensitive American-made electronics and ammunition to support Russia’s military operations and weapons development, thereby breaching U.S. export regulations, economic sanctions, and various other criminal laws.” He emphasized, “This case exemplifies our commitment: no matter where you are globally, if you violate U.S. export controls or circumvent U.S. sanctions, we will pursue you until you are held accountable in a U.S. court.”

Russia Prisoner Swap Involved: Vladislav Klyushin

Vladislav Klyushin, a Russian entrepreneur, was found guilty of taking part in a sophisticated scheme that involved hacking into computer systems to gain an unfair advantage in trading. This illegal activity resulted in profits of around $93 million from trades made using confidential data stolen from American companies. In February 2023, Klyushin was convicted by a federal jury on charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, unauthorized computer access, and conspiracy. He was apprehended in Switzerland in March 2021 and subsequently extradited to the United States.

The other Russia Prisoner Swap Involved:  Pavel Rubtsov

Pavel Rubtsov was identified as a Russian spy by Poland’s Internal Security Agency in 2022. He was working as a journalist for Spanish media under the fake name Pablo Gonzalez. He was arrested on espionage charges in eastern Poland, near the Ukrainian border, in the first days after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva

Artem Dultzev and Anna Dultseva are a Russian couple who were arrested on espionage charges in Slovenia in 2022.

Posing as Argentine citizens, they reportedly had used Slovenia as a base since 2017 to travel to neighbouring countries and relay Moscow’s orders to other Russian sleeper agents.

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They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 19 months in prison. They were released on time served. The couple is said to have two children.

Mikhail Mikushin was taken into custody in Norway in 2022 on allegations of espionage. Norwegian authorities reported that he had been residing in the country using a false identity while serving the interests of Russia’s intelligence agency. He reportedly entered Norway under the guise of being a Brazilian national. President Biden referred to the recent prisoner exchange that liberated WSJ’s Gershkovich and Whelan as a remarkable achievement in diplomacy.

Here is a different version of the text: The image features Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich at the centre, surrounded clockwise by Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, corporate security executive and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, Lilia Chanysheva, former coordinator of regional offices of the late opposition figure Alexei Navalny, co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Memorial Human Rights Centre Oleg Orlov, artist and musician Sasha Skochilenko, Russian opposition activist and former municipal deputy of the Krasnoselsky district Ilya Yashin, government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tatar-Bashkir service Alsu Kurmasheva, and former head of Open Russia movement Andrei Pivovarov. (Associated Press).

The historic exchange freed three American citizens and one American green card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia: Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza

President Biden called the prisoner swap deal a “feat of diplomacy.”

“We’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia — including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country. Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over,” the White House said in a press release.

Fox News reports that just an hour before President Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race on July 21, he was engaged in a phone call with his Slovenian counterpart, urging them to finalize arrangements to complete a significant deal.

In addition, Biden took the time to personally thank several leaders, including Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He expressed gratitude for their collaboration on the landmark agreement that successfully secured the release of Americans and others held in Russia.

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The president highlighted his appreciation for their unwavering support during the intricate negotiations and their proactive involvement throughout the process that led to this historic release.

President Biden addressed the prisoner swap deal on Thursday while the family members of the released individuals stood nearby. Meanwhile, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, expressed his excitement about the Americans being released but also cautioned that the exchange could send a dangerous message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He emphasized his concern about the potential encouragement of further hostage-taking by the Russian regime. Biden is set to welcome the returned prisoners at Joint Base Andrews on Thursday evening.