Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan are back on US soil after being freed in a historic prisoner swap.
The plane carrying the Americans from their imprisonment in Russia landed late Thursday, after taking off from Ankara, Turkey around 8:00 pm local time.
In the air for about 10 hours, the flight followed a four-hour one from Moscow to Ankara. The plane landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland just before midnight, after Gershkovich, a 32-year-old WSJ reporter, was seen boarding in Turkey.
He had been accused of espionage, and was detained in Russia while working as a journalist on March 29 of last year. Whelan, a 54-year-old ex Marine, was sentenced to 16 years in 2020 after being detained two years before on suspicion of spying.
Both were freed Thursday, as part of the largest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War. Also returning is Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was sentenced to over six years in a Russian prison in a rapid, secret trial late last month.
The plane carrying the Americans from their imprisonment in Russia landed late Thursday, after taking off from Ankara, Turkey around 8:00 pm local time
The plane landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland just before midnight, with Evan Gershkovich, a 32-year-old reporter imprisoned last year under suspicion of espionage, seen disembarking here. Kamal Harris, seen at left, was first to greet him
Minutes before the trio landed, President Joe Biden and his motorcade made its way to the landing area, after Vice President Kamala Harris, who traveled separately, arrived shortly before.
Several Wall Street Journal employees were seen as well, anxiously awaiting their coworker’s arrival on the tarmac after nearly a year-and-a-half.
The prisoners were seen shaking hands with the president and vice president on the landing strip, speaking briefly as onlookers cheered.
Earlier in the day, Biden – who is credited with negotiating the release – delivered remarks from the White House while flanked by the hostages’ relatives.
The same group received news of their loved ones landing directly from Biden, a US official said, after Biden spoke to the prisoners over the phone earlier on during their journey.
‘Their brutal ordeal is over, and they’re free,’ Biden, 81 said just after noon Thursday, a half day before the trio’s landing.
Adding how the former prisoners had just left Russia and were on their way home, he described speaking to the freed prisoners from the Oval Office. He said their relatives were able to as well.
He went on to call the multi-nation deal involving seven separate countries ‘a feat of diplomacy’, as well as one of ‘friendship.’
Meanwhile, Russian State television also touted the talks and subsequent agreement as a victory.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is seen being led from his year-and-half long imprisonment early Thursday
Paul Whelan (pictured) is seen being released from Moscow as part of a historic prisoner swap between America and Russia
This is a developing story; please check back for more updates.