Russia prisoner swap involving US journalist Evan Gershkovich under way | Russia

A major prisoner exchange between Russia and the west is under way involving the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been freed from a Russian prison, Bloomberg has reported, citing people familiar with the situation.

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.

Neither Russia nor the US publicised any details on the exchange location, but Turkish intelligence said in a statement it would be coordinating an extensive prisoner swap on Thursday. Sources confirmed to the Guardian that the exchange was expected to happen in Turkey.

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.

A possible exchange has been mooted for months, with long discussions behind closed doors involving numerous governments, and few details seeping into the public domain.

Many observers have linked the initial Gershkovich arrest to a Russian policy that amounts to hostage-taking, with a view to increasing pressure on western countries to release Russian spies, hackers and assassins.

On Wednesday, two Russian deep-cover “illegal” spies arrested in Slovenia were tried in Ljubljana, sentenced to time served and ordered to be expelled from the country. A source with knowledge of the case told the Guardian the pair would be included in the exchange.