Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan have been freed in a multi-prisoner exchange between with Russia, Bloomberg’s Jordan Fabian reports. Whelan had been in the gulag since December 28th, 2018, and Gershkovich since March 30, 2023.
Both were arrested on fake charges of espionage, with Gershkovich’s charges particularly fucking scummy given that it came just a day after he filed a story titled “Russia’s Economy Is Starting to Come Undone.” We’re still waiting on details of the exchange and who the US (or possibly third countries) handed to Putin’s regime in exchange, but either way there goes convicted felon former President Trump’s extremely twisted and suspicious promise to free Gershkovich if he’s elected.