Who are the Russians being freed as part of the Evan Gershkovich prisoner exchange?
One is a hitman who gunned down a man in broad daylight.
One is a hitman who gunned down a man in broad daylight. Another posed as a Brazilian university lecturer. Some scammed millions of dollars in sophisticated cybercrimes. They're all Russian prisoners who are being freed in one of the biggest prisoner exchanges since the Cold War.
Their release came after months of negotiations by the Biden administration officials with their Russian counterparts. Three Americans are being freed as part of the deal: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan and Russian American reporter Alsu Kurmasheva.
At a time when relations between Washington and Moscow are frosty over the war in Ukraine, the U.S. has repeatedly accused the Russians of arresting American citizens on flimsy charges to use them as bargaining chips in negotiations over the release of its own citizens being held on far more serious charges.
Evan Gershkovich last month in Sverdlovsk Regional Court in Yekaterinburg, Russia.Alexander Nemenov / AFP - Getty ImagesGershkovich, who was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in a maximum security prison last month, was no exception. The U.S. government — and his employer — said he was the victim of a sham trial.
NBC News looks at the Russian prisoners released in the swap.
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