Official announcements from the U.S. or Russian governments, or reputable news sources such as Reuters, BBC, or The New York Times

Three Americans Released from Russia Return to Joint Base Andrews, Greeted by Biden and Harris

Aug 2, 2024, 04:08 AM

Three Americans, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva, have been released from Russian captivity and have returned to the United States. They landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly before 12 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were present to greet them on the tarmac, where they were also reunited with their families. The release was part of a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia.