Negotiations for the Russian-US prisoner exchange were primarily conducted between Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and the CIA, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
The FSB confirmed on Thursday that eight Russians detained and held in custody in a number of NATO countries had been returned home.
A plane carrying the freed prisoners arrived at Moscow’s Vnukovo-2 airport from Ankara late on Thursday, where they were greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia, in turn, has released 16 people, including seven Russians and five German citizens.
“Negotiations for this complex exchange were conducted through the FSB and CIA. This was the main channel through which the agreement was reached,” Peskov told journalists.
Hellbound and Down 