Freed prisoners land on US soil after historic swap deal with Russia

Journalist Evan Gershkovich and fellow prisoners released by Russia landed in the United States late Thursday, an AFP journalist saw, as part of an extraordinary swap deal struck between Washington and Moscow.

A plane carrying Gershkovich, former US marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva landed at around 11:40pm at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, where President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were waiting to greet them.

Both Biden and Harris hugged Gershkovich, as he and two other Americans arrived back on US soil. The Wall Street Journal reporter, Whelan, and Kurmasheva were met by cheers from family and friends as they disembarked a plane, before each embracing Biden and Harris.

"It feels wonderful, it was a long time coming," Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, where he and Harris welcomed the freed prisoners at around 11:40pm.

They were among two dozen detainees released earlier Thursday in the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War.

A fourth freed prisoner, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian Kremlin critic with US residency, was also among those freed but was returning separately to the United States.

In total 10 Russians, including two minors, were traded for 16 Westerners and Russians imprisoned in Russia in a dramatic exchange on the airport tarmac in Turkey's capital Ankara.

"Alliances make a difference. They stepped up and took a chance for us," Biden said of the deal, which also involved Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Belarus on the other side.

Harris, who is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee after Biden dropped out of the 2024 election, heralded "an extraordinary day."

The freed prisoners and their relatives are now expected to travel to San Antonio, Texas, for medical evaluations and any care they need at the Brooke Army Medical Center, US media said.