Amnesty International has welcomed the release of people held in Russia but stressed that “this isn’t the end.”

“Russia must free all persons jailed for peaceful dissent. The right way forward is the dismantling of Russia’s system of political repression, not bartering human beings,” it said.

The Kremlin said today that Vadim Krasikov, a hitman returned by Germany as part of yesterday’s major prisoner swap, was an employee of Russia’s FSB security service and had served in Alpha Group, the FSB’s special forces unit, Reuters reported.

Evan Gershkovich highlights plight of Russian political prisoners as he arrives in US

Andrew Roth

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris met Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other freed American prisoners just hours after Washington and Moscow completed their largest prisoner exchange since the cold war.

After a few minutes spent chatting with family, Evan approached the crowd of reporters and began to embrace his friends and colleagues.

Asked how he was feeling he said “I feel fine.” But he also spoke about his feelings boarding the bus with the other freed detainees on Thursday and said he was happy to see Russians on board as well.

“There’s one thing I would like to say. It was great to get on that bus today and see not just Americans and Germans but Russian political prisoners.

“I spent a month in prison in Yekaterinburg where everyone I sat with was a political prisoner. Nobody knows them publicly, they have various political beliefs, they are not all connected with Navalny supporters, who everyone knows about. I would potentially like to see if we could do something about them as well. I’d like to talk to people about that in the next weeks and months.”

Read the full story here, from Andrews air force base.

The Kremlin said today that yesterday’s prisoner swap was negotiated between Russia’s FSB and the US Central Intelligence Agency, Reuters reported.

It also said that Vladimir Putin’s decision to meet the released prisoners as they arrived by plane in Russia was a sign of respect for people who had served their country.

“It was a tribute to people who serve their country and who after very difficult trials, and thanks to the hard work of many people, have been able to return to the Motherland,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

The Kremlin rejected the notion that Russia deliberately arrested people to create an “exchange fund,” calling it absurd.