Russia frees reporter Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan

Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan regained their freedom as part of a prisoner swap.

Anonymous sources assured Bloomberg, who first broke the news, that they were on their way Thursday to destinations outside Russia. Finally, the exchange has gone into effect.

Turkey confirms exchange of 26 prisoners between Russia and other Western countries

According to the Turkish presidency in a statement obtained by AFP, they coordinated a prisoner exchange between Russia and six other Western countries, an exchange that includes both Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan:

"The Turkish Intelligence Agency (MIT) carried out the largest prisoner exchange operation in recent times in Ankara, involving the exchange of 26 people from prisons in seven different countries (United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus)."Statement from the Presidency of Turkey.

As explained by the Turkish government, the exchange, which took place in the city of Ankara, required seven planes for transport. "Ten prisoners, including two minors, were relocated to Russia, thirteen prisoners to Germany, and three prisoners to the United States."

Why were Gershkovich and Paul Whelan in prison?

Both had been jailed on espionage charges, detainments that the U.S. State Department called unjust. The detainees themselves and those close to them repeatedly denied the charges.

Gershkovich, a 32-year-old journalist, was arrested last year. He was in Russia as a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. The local prosecutor's office accused him of spying for the CIA. Specifically, of collecting "secret information" on the production and repair of military hardware from tank manufacturer Uralvagonzavod. Last month he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Whelan had been in a Russian prison since 2018. Whelan was a corporate security executive who was convicted on espionage charges in 2018 and two years later was sentenced to 16 years in prison.