Putin Releases Americans Gershkovich and Whelan in Prisoner Swap Deal

American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. marine Paul Whelan were released from imprisonment in Russia on Thursday as part of a prisoner swap deal.

The pair were freed after days of intense speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin was preparing to free high-profile prisoners, though it remained unclear exactly who would be freed—and who the Kremlin would want in return.

The release of Gershkovich comes the month after he was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security penal colony after being convicted on espionage charges.

Read more at The Daily Beast.