Former US Marine Paul Whelan and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva will also be released
Others are believed to be part of the exchange, which is expected to take place later today
Rumours that a swap was imminent emerged after reports that several notable prisoners in Russia had recently gone missing from the jails they were held in. Sources with knowledge of the planned exchange confirmed to the Guardian that a major swap would take place on Thursday in a location outside Russia. They declined to make further details public until after the swap had taken place owing to sensitivity of the matter.
Gershkovich and the former US marine Paul Whelan, both accused by Russian authorities of espionage, had already been freed and were en route to a destination outside Russia, Bloomberg reported. The Guardian understands the exchange will also involve Russian political prisoners being freed as well as numerous Russians jailed in the west for espionage, murder and other crimes being returned to Russia.
Gershkovich was arrested in March 2023 while reporting in the city of Ekaterinburg and was last month sentenced to 16 years in prison for espionage. He pleaded not guilty and the Wall Street Journal and the US government have dismissed the charges as nonsense.
