Americans freed from Russia in prisoner swap land on US soil

The Americans freed from the Russian prison system in a multi-national prisoner swap have landed safely in the U.S. and have already met with family and President Biden and Vice President Harris at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

The freed quartet of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine Corps veteran Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva and American green-card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza are now en route to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.

Once they arrive in San Antonio — projected to be at 3:20 a.m. local time — they are scheduled to be taken to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), about 25 minutes away in another part of San Antonio.

BAMC is where formerly detained prisoners are taken for debriefing, observation, medical and psychological evaluations and the beginning process of reintegration onto U.S. soil.

A government official told Fox News that all three Americans have accepted to participate in PISA (Post Isolation Support Activities).

Brooke Army Medical Center is known for treating severely injured combat casualties and victims of trauma or torture, according to its website.

WNBA star Britney Griner, who was part of a major prisoner swap in late 2022, was also taken to BAMC during her arrival back to the U.S.

President Biden spoke to reporters after a plane carrying three American prisoners who were released by Russia landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland late Thursday night.

Biden was asked about his feelings about getting the prisoners home and said, “satisfaction."

He was also asked what his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin would be.

“Stop,” Biden said.

Biden told reporters, “There’s nothing beyond our capacity when we act together...Nothing…We’re the United States of America.”

Harris told reporters this is “the power of diplomacy.”

“This is an extraordinary day. I’m very thankful for our president and what he has done,” Harris said. “This is an incredible day and you can see it in the families.”

The mother of Marc Fogel, an American teacher imprisoned in Russia for the last three years criticized the Biden administration for not “trying hard enough” to include her son in  a prisoner swap with Russia that resulted in the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other Americans, according to reports.

The New York Post reported that the 95-year-old Malphine Fogel said she was disappointed her 65-year-old son was overlooked again by Biden’s team when negotiating a deal to release Americans imprisoned in Russia.

Fogel, who works as a teacher, was sentenced to 14 years in a hard labor Russian penal colony after he was arrested for possessing medical marijuana that was prescribed to him for chronic back pain.

WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested at a Russian airport in 2022 after she was found in possession of cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage as she returned to the county to play basketball.

Griner was released on Dec. 8, 2022 in exchange for Viktor Bout, the “Merchant of Death,” or, one of the world’s most dangerous and infamous arms dealers.

Fogel remained in prison and continues to be today.

His mother spoke to The Post after learning about the prisoner swa on Thursday.

“I heard about it with pain on the news,” Malphine told The Post.

“I don’t think the administration is trying hard enough for him,” she added. “I guess because he is a common American citizen.”

While Malphine said she is happy for those who were released to their families, she cannot fathom why her son was not included.

She also called out Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, saying he “needs to be more forceful to get him designated unlawfully detained.”

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to greet the Americans released by Russia in a prisoner swap on Thursday, when they arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at around 11:30 p.m.

Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza were released as part of a prisoner swap with Russia, after being unjustly imprisoned.

Gershkovich, a 32-year-old reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested on March 29, 2023, while reporting on a trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg and accused of espionage.

Whelan was jailed in December 2018 for espionage-related charges that he and the U.S. government dispute.

In exchange for their release as well as the release of others, Russia received eight prisoners in U.S. custody.

The released prisoners were Vadim Krasikov from Germany; Artem Viktorovich Dultsev from Slovenia; Anna Valerevna Dultseva from Slovenia; Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin from Norway; Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov from Poland; Roman Seleznev from the U.S.; Vladislav Klyushin from the U.S.; and Vadim Konoshchenock from the U.S.

The freed Americans are currently on a plane headed for Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. When they arrive, both Biden and Harris are expected to greet them on the tarmac.

White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby addressed criticism over the release of Russian assassin Vadim Krasikov for three Americans and other political dissidents held by Russia.

Former Marine Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were released Thursday in a multi-nation prisoner swap in what's being called the biggest prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia since the Cold War.

Krasikov, who was convicted of a 2019 murder, was freed by Germany in the prisoner swap and was seen embracing Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow after returning home.

Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier, citing Newsweek, noted criticism that the prisoner exchange has been "hailed as a ‘success’ for Vladimir Putin."

Kirby told Baier on "Special Report" the decision to release Krasikov took "a lot of moral courage" from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"Nobody's delighted or doing backflips over here because Mr. Krasikov is now a free man. That's what negotiations are all about. They require tough decisions, tough calls. The president was willing to make that tough call in order to get these — all these individuals, not just the Americans, all of them — released," he said.

Read more about Kirby’s remarks on the prisoner swap.

Fox News’ Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report

Vice President Harris said all four of the American prisoners who were released Thursday will be reunited with their loved ones after being convicted in “sham trials” and sentenced to long prison terms.

When the Vice President was asked if she would be meeting the released prisoners, she ignored the question.

Three American citizens – Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva – and one American green-card holder –  Vladimir Kara-Murza – who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia were released from Russia in a prisoner swap on Thursday.

Harris released a statement on the prisoner swap just before boarding Air Force 2 on Thursday.

“As President Biden announced earlier today, Paul, Evan, Alsu and green card holder Vladimir were unjustly held in Russia and will soon be reunited with their loved ones,” Harris said. “Russian authorities arrested and convicted them in sham trials and sentenced them to long prison terms.

“This has been an appalling perversion of justice over many years, President Biden and I and our team have engaged in conflict, diplomatic locations to bring these wrongfully detained Americans home,” Harris continued. “We never stopped fighting for their release. And today, in spite of all of their suffering, it gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is finally over.”

She also spoke about Alexei Navalny, who would have been released as part of the deal had he not died in an Arctic prison in February. Harris said the exchange included the release of Russian political prisoners who worked with Navalny.

Harris told reporters she spoke with Navalny’s widow, Yulia, about the significance of the release of the prisoners.

“As I told her…the United States stands with all of those who are fighting for freedom in Russia,” Harris said.

After finishing her statement, one reporter shouted, “Will you be meeting Evan and Paul when they return?”

Harris did not answer the reporter’s question, but instead boarded Air Force 2.

Russia received eight criminals in a historic prisoner swap that saw a total of 24 detainees released in a complex deal involving seven nations, including the U.S. and Germany.

Here is a look at the faces of evil that were allowed to return to Russia in the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War:

Vadim Krasikov

The top pick on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s wish list for the swap was hit man Vadim Krasikov, who used the alias Vadim Sokolov. He was convicted by a German court for the 2019 assassination of a former Chechen commander near Berlin’s parliamentary building.

He apparently carried out the assassination on the orders of Moscow’s security services.

Read more about the other Russian prisoners who were released by the U.S.

Fox News’ Stepheny Price and Lorraine Taylor contributed to this report.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said each family of the American prisoners who were released by Russia on Thursday, was given the opportunity to speak with their loved ones by phone, from the Oval Office.

“The president invited the family members in at the moment that we received the word from the tarmac in Ankara that the exchange was complete, and he was able to give them the news directly that the exchange was, in fact, complete,” Sullivan said.

He continued, saying three of the released prisoners  –  Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva – were in one place while American green-card holder, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was in another place.

President Biden then conducted two calls from the Oval Office. The first call was with the three American citizens. During the call, Biden said on behalf of the American people, he was proud to have them out of Russian prisons.

Biden then quickly turned the phone over to the family members, each of which got the chance to speak with their loved one.

After the first call, the president conducted a second call with Kara-Muraz, Sullivan said, in which he was able to speak with his wife, one of their daughters and their son.

“He also got to reminisce on the fact that they were both pallbearers together at John McCain’s…funeral,” Sullivan said of the President and Kara-Muraz.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a joint statement that the release of Americans is “encouraging news,” though “trading hardened Russian criminals for innocent Americans does little to discourage Putin’s reprehensible behavior.”

The two federal lawmakers released the statement after world leaders reached a deal with Russia to swap prisoners, a deal that was in the making for months.

As part of the deal, Americans  Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza were released into U.S. custody.

At the top of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s list was hit man Vadim Krasikov, who used the cover name Vadim Sokolov and was convicted by a German court for the 2019 assassination of a former Chechen commander near Berlin’s parliamentary building.

“The release of innocent Americans and Russian political prisoners from wrongful detention is encouraging news,” the two Republican lawmakers wrote. “We eagerly await the return of Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza to their homes and loved ones and will continue pressing for all Americans to be released.

 “Their unjust captivity will be an enduring reminder of the Russian government’s longstanding fear of free people and the free press. And the continued imprisonment of American citizens and innocent Russians is a damning indictment of Vladimir Putin’s hostility to the United States and his disdain for the rule of law,” they continued.

 “Without serious action to deter further hostage-taking by Russia, Iran, and other states hostile to the United States, the costs of hostage diplomacy will continue to rise,” Johnson and McConnell added. “As we renew our call for the return of all persons wrongfully detained by the Kremlin, we recognize that trading hardened Russian criminals for innocent Americans does little to discourage Putin’s reprehensible behavior.”

After 16 months in a Russian prison, Evan Gershkovich was released Thursday in the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War, orchestrated by the Biden administration.

Almost two weeks ago, Biden announced to the world he was dropping out of the presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. But just before he made that decision, the president made a call to his Slovenian counterpart urging them to make final arrangements to get the historic prisoner exchange over the line.

That swap included Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, along with legal permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza. In exchange, Vladamir Putin insisted his hitman Vadim Krasikov be released back to Russia.

Krasikov used the cover name Vadim Sokolov and was convicted by a German court for the 2019 assassination of a former Chechen commander near Berlin’s parliamentary building. He was in German custody.

Read more about what happened behind the scenes.

Fox News’ Brianna Herlihy and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Alexei Navalny  was part of the deal that led to a prisoner swap between Russia and other nations, before the Putin opposition leader died in a prison in February.

The 47-year-old Navalny was serving a 19-year sentence in an Arctic penal colony at the time of his death.

During a press briefing on Thursday, Sullivan was asked if Navalny was part of the deal before he died.

“So, we had been working with our partners on a deal that would have included Alexei Navalny, and, unfortunately, he died,” Sullivan said. “In fact, on the very day that he died, I saw [Evan Gershkovich’s] parents and I told them that the president was determined to get this done, even in light of that tragic news, and that we were going to work, day and night to get to this day.”

President Biden spoke with world leaders who played critical roles in a prisoner swap with Russia, that resulted in the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, on Thursday.

The White House said in a statement that Biden spoke individually with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to thank them for their partnership on today’s historic deal that brought home Americans and others detained in Russia.

“The President expressed his appreciation for their support during the complex negotiations and active engagement throughout the process to achieve this monumental release,” the White House said.

The New York Times reported that Turkey played an important role in the several months of negotiations that led to the swap on Thursday.

In a statement, Turkish security officials referred to the prisoner exchange as historic, while Biden also named Turkey as one of the countries that “stepped up” to help bring the prisoners home.

Fox News’ Sally Persons contributed to this report.

The White House shared new images of the three prisoners from the U.S. who were released by Russia in the largest swap since the Cold War.

The three American citizens released were Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva. A fourth American green-card holder, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was also released as part of the deal on Thursday.

In one image shared by the White House, Gershkovich, Kurmasheva and Whelan were seen speaking with President Biden on the phone.

In another picture, the three Americans were seen holding a U.S. flag while in Ankara, after being released.

Brittney Griner rejoiced upon hearing the news of the prisoner exchange that freed three Americans from Russian detention on Thursday, something the WNBA star is very familiar with.

“Great day. It’s a great day. It’s a great day,” Griner said after the U.S. women;s team beat Belgium 87-74 to clinch a berth in the Paris Olympic Games quarterfinals. “We’ll talk more about it later. But head over heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home, that’s a win. That’s a win.”

Griner, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was part of a high-profile prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States in 2022 after she was sentenced to nine years in jail for drug possession and smuggling that year. sShe was freed in in exchange for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout.

“I’m sure it’ll be emotional even more a little bit later on,” Griner said. "Yeah. I’m just happy. Like this is a big win. A huge win.”

Since returning home, Griner has worked with Bring Our Families Home, a campaign formed in 2022 by the family members of American hostages and wrongful detainees held overseas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Former CIA Director Leon Panetta said Russia's practice of detaining Americans is a form of "blackmail" meant to force the release of its citizens.

"The Russians pick up these people, make false charges against them, throw them in prison, and basically use them then as pawns to try to get back people that they want," the former intelligence chief told Neil Cavuto on "Your World." "The problem is that this then creates an incentive down the road for them to basically pick up more people in order to get the people back that they want. It's not a very comforting process."

Vadim Krasikov 58, is being released by Germany, where he has been imprisoned for murder, as part of Thursday's prisoner exchange. Krasikov was convicted for the Aug. 23, 2019, killing of Zelimkhan "Tornike" Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen who had fought Russian troops in Chechnya and later claimed asylum in Germany.

"I'm sure the linchpin here was getting Krasikov back," Panetta said. "Krasikov is an assassin for the Russians."

Getting Krasikov back is a big deals for the Moscow, said Panetta.

"In his (Russian President Vladimir Putin) mind, getting somebody like that back basically sends a message to others that Russia will do everything they can to get back those who do their bidding," he said. "And, I think Putin considers this to be a success without question"

The Associated Press contributed to this report

President Biden is scheduled to greet the Americans released by Russia in a prisoner swap on Thursday, when they arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

The White House said Biden will be joined by Vice President Harris at Andrews when Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza arrive.

The family of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was released in a prisoner swap between several countries and Russia, broke their silence since his release, saying they cannot wait “to give him the biggest hug.”

"We have waited 491 days for Evan’s release, and it’s hard to describe what today feels like,” the family said. “We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close. Most important now is taking care of Evan and being together again. No family should have to go through this, and so we share relief and joy today with Paul and Alsu’s families.

“We are grateful to President Biden, Secretary Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Chancellor Scholz and every U.S. or foreign government official who helped get Evan released,” the family continued. “Our family has felt so much love and support from Evan’s fellow journalists, his wonderful friends, and many, many people around the world. It made a difference to Evan and to us. And we especially thank Evan’s colleagues at Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal. They have taken care of Evan and our entire family since the beginning, and we are forever grateful."

Gershkovich, American veteran Paul Whelan and others were released into U.S. custody after a massive swap of political prisoners involving the United States and Russia on Thursday.

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report. 

In the biggest prisoner swap with Moscow since the Cold War, the Biden administration on Thursday secured the liberation of 16 American and German nationals held prisoner in Russia and Belarus in exchange for the release of eight Russians.

The top of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s list was hit man Vadim Krasikov, who used the cover name Vadim Sokolov and was convicted by a German court for the 2019 assassination of a former Chechen commander near Berlin’s parliamentary building.

"Krasikov is a high-ranking colonel in the elite Spetsnaz unit of the FSB," Rebekah Koffler, former DIA intelligence officer and author of "Putin’s Playbook," told Fox News Digital in reference to Russia’s intelligence agency the Federal Security Service (FSB).

"Krasikov is a very high-value asset who will be debriefed by the Russian security services on the operation, how he got apprehended, what he learned during the interrogations in Germany, and everything the Russians are interested in," she explained. "These debriefings will help the Russians to make improvements in their operational tradecraft for Russian intelligence."

Read more about Russia’s “high-value asset” acquisition.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.