I was part of Russia's prisoner swap with the US. Here's how it feels to finally, suddenly be free.

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Russian artist Aleksandra Skochilenko, stands behind prison bars and does the peace sign with her hands as two police officers look at her.
Russian artist Aleksandra Skochilenko, also known as Sasha, was released as part of the prisoner swap between Russia, the US, and other countries.

OLGA MALTSEVA/Getty Images

Russia has a history of going after dissidents. One senior Kremlin official has now warned freed prisoners to 'disguise themselves.'

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Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Putin greeted children of freed sleeper agents in Spanish as they had only discovered they were Russian on the flight to Moscow, Kremlin says

Tech Insider : Politics
Putin, sleeper agent, daughter
Putin greeted the family as they arrived in Moscow.

Mikhail Voskresensky/Reuters

Putin got a pretty great deal, experts say

Tech Insider : Politics
Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted Vadim Krasikov upon arrival of freed Russian prisoners at Vnukovo government airport outside Moscow on August 1, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin may benefit from the prisoner-exchange deal, experts say.

Mikhail Voskresensky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Ukrainian POWs are being bought and sold on a Russian black market, report says

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Ramzan Kadyrov
Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov attends a military ceremony in Grozny, Russia, on October 5, 2021.

Chingis Kondarov/Reuters

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