A U.S.-Russia prisoner swap is underway to free multiple American, German citizens

More than a dozen people, including Americans, are being released from Russia on Thursday in one of the biggest and most complex prisoner swaps in U.S. history, according to a senior administration official and a person with knowledge of the operation.

It was not clear who is part of the swap. Among the Americans in Russian custody are journalists Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, along with former Marine Paul Whelan. German Rico Krieger, who had been sentenced to death in Belarus, is one of multiple Germans being held by Russia.

Moscow is receiving a number of Russians who have been imprisoned in multiple countries.