Kremlin Confirms Imminent Release of Russian Prisoner in U.S.

The Kremlin has stated that a Russian prisoner in the United States will be freed shortly in exchange for Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher recently released from Russian imprisonment. The specifics of the reciprocal exchange remain unclear as diplomatic negotiations continue.

The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that a Russian individual held in the United States is set to be released “in the coming days,” indicating a reciprocal arrangement after the recent release of the American schoolteacher, Marc Fogel. Dmitri S. Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, shared this news during a press briefing but withheld the identity of the Russian prisoner until after their release.

Peskov noted that ongoing, high-level discussions between U.S. and Russian officials facilitated both the return of Fogel and the release of the unnamed Russian citizen currently held in U.S. custody. American officials had not issued a comment immediately following this announcement.

Marc Fogel, 63, was welcomed back to the United States after spending over three years in Russian captivity. He returned from Moscow on a private flight accompanied by Steve Witkoff, who is known for his role as President Trump’s envoy focusing on the Middle East and the ongoing strife in Ukraine. Fogel was greeted at the White House by Trump himself, whom he publicly thanked for his role in brokering his release.

While acknowledging the arrangement as an "exchange," the White House did not clarify the details of what the Kremlin would gain from this diplomatic deal. Fogel's incarceration originated from an incident in August 2021, where he was apprehended at a Moscow airport for possession of cannabis—substances that his legal team asserted were intended for pain relief. Despite this defense, Russian courts convicted him of “large-scale drug smuggling” in June 2022, sentencing him to 14 years in a labor camp.

Anton Troianovski serves as the Moscow bureau chief for The Times, covering various topics related to Russia and its geopolitical dynamics.