Photonews Logo Photonews logo
  • Home
  • Pakistan
    • Punjab
    • Sindh
    • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    • Azad Jammu Kashmir
    • Balochistan
    • Gilgit – Baltistan
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Videos
    Good Fortune trailer
    Videos

    First Trailer for Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, Starring Keanu Reeves

    May 29, 2025 2 Min Read
    Last of Us Season 2
    Videos

    ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Premieres Date What to Expect From HBO’s Hit Series

    April 13, 2025 2 Min Read
    Disney Snow White box office
    Videos

    Snow White Teaser Drops: Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler Shine

    February 22, 2025 1 Min Read
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Offbeat
  • Blog
  • Contact
Reading: How Putin Stands to Gain or Lose from the Prisoner Swap with the West
PhotoNews Pakistan PhotoNews Pakistan
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Pakistan
    • Punjab
    • Sindh
    • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    • Balochistan
    • Azad Jammu Kashmir
    • Gilgit – Baltistan
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Offbeat
  • Blog
  • Contact
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2022 Photonews. All Rights Reserved.
Putin Welcomes Prison Swap
PhotoNews Pakistan > Top News > How Putin Stands to Gain or Lose from the Prisoner Swap with the West
Top NewsWorld

How Putin Stands to Gain or Lose from the Prisoner Swap with the West

Web Desk
By Web Desk Published August 2, 2024 3 Min Read
Share
Russia's President Vladimir Putin greeted Russian citizens released in a prisoner swap with Western countries Photo Credits: Mikhail Voskresensky / ITAR Tass / Imago
SHARE

When eight Russian citizens, including a convicted hitman, landed in Moscow on Thursday from a historic prisoner swap with the West, President Vladimir Putin welcomed them as heroes. “I want to congratulate you all on your return to your Motherland,” Putin declared, assuring them that Russia had remembered them constantly.

Putin’s reassurance was clear: the Kremlin supports its people, even those caught abroad. This swap, the largest since the Cold War, involved 24 individuals—16 to the West and eight to Russia. The U.S. released individuals like journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva and former marine Paul Whelan, alongside notable Russian dissidents.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin greeted Russian citizens released in a prisoner swap with Western countries, promising them state awards.

The eight returnees included Vadim Krasikov, convicted by a German court of killing a Chechen dissident in Berlin: https://t.co/30QmtcB4mG pic.twitter.com/tgr6Op2IPJ

— DW News (@dwnews) August 1, 2024

In exchange, Russia secured the release of several alleged spies and Vadim Krasikov, an FSB assassin, marking a significant gain for Moscow. “For the target audience, Putin brought back his soldiers, the heroes of a hybrid Third World War,” observed Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev. He noted that the message was aimed not just at special services but at millions who see themselves as part of a nation at war.

The returnees included two sleeper agents from Slovenia, a noted hacker, and an alleged Russian colonel who had been posing as a Brazilian researcher in Norway. The key figure for Putin was Krasikov, arrested in Germany in 2019 for an assassination ordered by Moscow, according to Berlin. Putin, a former FSB director, had long sought Krasikov’s return, a point previously resisted by Germany.

The children of Anna and Artem Dultsev, the Russian deep cover spies returned home as part of the prisoner exchange, didn’t know they were Russian until their plane took off for Moscow for the swap, the Kremlin says. They don’t speak Russian, so Putin greeted them in Spanish. pic.twitter.com/YIGX7uNupg

— max seddon (@maxseddon) August 2, 2024

Abbas Gallyamov, a former Kremlin speechwriter, suggested that this deal likely boosted the loyalty of Russia’s operatives. “Putin can count on them to work with greater dedication,” he stated.

However, the West now fears that Putin might feel emboldened to engage more aggressively in what it criticizes as “hostage diplomacy.” The Kremlin, meanwhile, affirmed its commitment to securing the release of more Russians it considers unjustly detained abroad.

This swap continues a tradition of exchanges, reminiscent of the 2022 swap involving US basketball star Brittney Griner and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Unlike previous exchanges that typically involved spies, this deal included Russian dissidents, highlighting Moscow’s harsh stance against its critics, as noted by Tatiana Stanovaya from the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

While Russia celebrates the exchange as a victory, political analyst Ekaterina Schulmann suggests the reality might be more complex. “Russia is getting back individuals who were unsuccessful in their missions and were captured,” she explained. Meanwhile, the individuals released to the West could become significant political figures if they engage in activism.

TAGGED:Featured
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Email Copy Link Print
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

Dead Take 2025 psychological horror

Dead Take: Surgent Studios’ Psychological Horror Game Set for 2025 Release

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran Nuclear Talks

Iran’s Khamenei Rejects US Nuclear Deal, Defends Uranium Enrichment

Adolescence

Adolescence Becomes Netflix’s Second Biggest English TV Series

Malir Jail Karachi Prisoner Escape

Sindh Orders Arrest of Malir Jail Constable in Massive Jailbreak Probe

Punjab solar panel guidelines 2025

Punjab Issues Solar Panel Installation Guidelines Amid Net Metering Cuts

Post Archives

More Popular from Photonews

Nicola Peltz Brooklyn Beckham
Entertainment

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Hire Meghan’s Lawyer Amid Family Tensions

2 Min Read
The Winds of Winter delay 2025
Entertainment

George RR Martin Addresses ‘The Winds of Winter’ Delay with Sarcastic Blog Post

3 Min Read
Israel Laser Weapon 2025
Tech

Israel Becomes First Nation to Shoot Down Drones with Laser

2 Min Read
Entertainment

Trump Pardons NBA YoungBoy, Sparking Debate Over Clemency Choices

The White House confirmed that on May 28, 2025, President Donald Trump pardoned rapper Kentrell DeSean…

May 29, 2025
Punjab

PP-52 Sialkot By-Election Today Amid Heightened Security

The by-election for the Punjab Assembly constituency PP-52 in Sialkot is scheduled for today, June 1,…

June 1, 2025
Pakistan

Gold Prices Surge in Pakistan Amid Russia-Ukraine Tensions in 2025

On June 2, 2025, gold prices in Pakistan surged significantly, driven by escalating tensions between Russia…

June 2, 2025
Business

Sanofi Acquires Blueprint Medicines for $9.5B

On June 2, 2025, French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi announced its acquisition of U.S.-based Blueprint Medicines for…

June 2, 2025
PhotoNews Pakistan

Always Stay Up to Date

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Categories

  • World
  • Pakistan
  • Punjab
  • Sindh
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Balochistan
  • Azad Jammu Kashmir

 

  • Top News
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Videos
  • Tech
  • Offbeat
  • Blog

© 2024 Phototnews
All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?