Russia highlights intricacies of prisoner exchange negotiations

Press Secretary for the Russian president Dmitry Peskov has stated that the process of prisoner exchanges between the Russian Federal Security Service and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) involved intricate international coordination.

Peskov explained that the negotiations conducted through the Federal Security Service and CIA required complex and detailed agreements and the involvement of multiple countries, Caliber.Az reports citing the Russian media.

The biggest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War era took place earlier on August 1, with 24 people released in total.

The White House said 16 prisoners had been freed and were on their way back to Europe and the US. Among them is Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

In return, eight Russian prisoners have been released from prisons in the US, Norway, Germany, Poland and Slovenia, including individuals accused of intelligence activities. The children of two of the prisoners also returned to Russia.

The swap took place on the runway at Ankara airport earlier on August 1.