News - Bloomberg: Russia releases US reporter Evan Gershkovich  as part of major prisoner swap with the West

Russia released Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan as part of a major prisoner swap with the US, according to people familiar with the situation, Bloomberg reports. The men, jailed in Russia on espionage charges which they and the US deny, are en route to destinations outside of Russia. The US and its allies will return prisoners to Russia that they hold under the deal, the people said, asking for anonymity to discuss matters that aren’t yet public. According to Mash, Kaliningrad hosted the first round of prisoner exchange with the West, which promises to be the largest since the Cold War. Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva, who were sentenced to one year and 7 months in prison on charges of espionage in Slovenia, were extradited to Russia. In exchange for its spies and agents, Russia can extradite 20-30 Russian political prisoners and journalists to the West, a source familiar with the situation told The Moscow Times.