Rubtsov was detained by Poland on the Polish-Ukrainian border on February 27, 2022. He was posing as a Spanish journalist and using the name Pablo Gonzalez. He allegedly used his status as a journalist to gather information in Ukraine for the Russian secret services, with the aim of gaining the trust of the Russian opposition.

Following news of the prisoner swap, US Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone with Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, to express gratitude for the late dissident and his wife’s fight for a “democratic Russia”.

The White House previously confirmed it was working to secure the release of Navalny, who died on February 16 in a penal colony above the Arctic Circle. Among those freed in the prisoner swap were three activists who headed Navalny’s staff in Russia: Lilia Chanysheva, Vadim Ostanin and Ksenia Fadeyeva.

The Kremlin, in turn, announced that 13 prisoners – including Americans – who were freed that day had been pardoned under Vladimir Putin’s decree. The Federal Security Service said in a statement that eight Russian citizens held “in NATO countries” had been released.

Putin’s decision on pardons includes two Americans: Whelan and Gershkovich, as well as an anti-Kremlin opposition activist. Vladimir Kara Murzawho, in addition to a Russian passport, holds British citizenship and a US “green card.” The following politicians were also pardoned by the decree Ilya Yashinindependent journalist Andrey Pivovarovdissident and human rights defender Oleg Orlov.

Other names mentioned in the Kremlin announcement were: Radio Free Europe (RWE) journalists Also Kurmashev (also a US citizen), Czanyszewa, Ostanin and Fadiejewa. The next person is an artist from St. Petersburg Alexandra Skoczylenkoconvicted of posting leaflets in shops about Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin’s announcement, he was pardoned. Demuri Voronin – political scientist, convicted in the high-profile criminal case of Ivan Safronov – a former journalist of the newspaper “Kommersant”. Voronin received 13 years in prison, Safronov on charges of high treason – 22 years. He is also mentioned in the statement Kewin Lik, 19 years oldwho also holds German citizenship. Leech He was the youngest Russian political prisoner to be convicted of high treason.

The FSB statement did not name the Russians committed to Moscow. Turkish authorities reported that Krasikov was among them. Independent Russian media also reported earlier that Russia received a couple convicted of espionage in Slovenia as part of the exchange. Artyom Dultsev And Anna Dulcewwho used the names Ludwig Gisch and Maria Rosa Mayer Munos, worked for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

The independent portal Novaya Gazeta. Jevropa also provides the names of Russians handed over to Moscow, published by the pro-Kremlin TASS agency. These are: Władisław Kluszyn, Wadim Konoszczenko, Michał Mikuszyn and Roman Sielezniow.