Mikhail Voskresensky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
- Russia on Thursday freed Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and others in a huge prisoner swap.
- President Joe Biden hailed the deal as a "feat of diplomacy" that eluded other presidents.
- But Russia's returnees were very different from the others, giving Putin the advantage, experts said.
The US claimed a major victory on Thursday, orchestrating a sweeping prisoner exchange with Russia that returned high-profile captives.