In a historic prisoner swap, new details have emerged on the largest exchange of prisoners since the Cold War. The Kremlin has now confirmed that some of the Russians held in the West were, in fact, members of its security services. Among those released were Artem and Anna Dultsev, a couple posing as Argentine expats who were undercover intelligence officers known as "illegals."

Having used Ljubljana as their base since 2017 to relay Moscow's orders to other sleeper agents, the Dultsevs were arrested on espionage charges in 2022. The couple's two children, who were unaware of their true nationality until the flight to Moscow from Ankara, Turkey, joined them in the exchange. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that the children do not speak Russian and were even unfamiliar with President Vladimir Putin, asking who he was upon being greeted at the airport.

Peskov emphasized the sacrifices made by "illegals" in the line of duty, praising their dedication to their work. A total of 24 prisoners, including the spy couple's children, were involved in the swap. At Ankara's tarmac, a total of 26 individuals changed planes. While journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, along with former Marine Paul Whelan, were reunited with their families and greeted by President Joe Biden in Maryland, President Putin personally embraced each of the Russian returnees, promising them state awards and discussing their future.

Among the returnees was Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin who had been serving a life sentence in Germany for the 2019 killing of a former Chechen fighter in a Berlin park. The assassination was labeled as an act of Russian "state terrorism" by German judges, sparking tension between Moscow and Berlin. Peskov confirmed that Krasikov is an officer of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and had previously served in the FSB's special forces Alpha unit, alongside some of Putin's bodyguards.

Despite international speculation about state involvement, Moscow denied any connection to the assassinations. However, Putin's determination to include Krasikov in the prisoner swap, as well as the killer's background as a "patriot" imprisoned in a "U.S.-allied country," as referenced by Putin himself earlier this year, raises further questions.

The prisoner exchange marks a significant development in international relations, shedding light on the presence and activities of Russian intelligence operatives in the West, as well as highlighting the secrecy and sacrifices that come with their roles as "illegals." The aftermath of this historic swap is now being closely watched as the released individuals face uncertain futures and potential state recognition for their actions.