Kremlin confirms FSB ties of prisoner swap with the West
The Kremlin announced on Friday, August 2, that Vadim Krasikov, who was freed by Germany in a recent prisoner swap deal with the West, is an operative of Russia’s FSB security service. “Krasikov is an FSB employee,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated during a press conference, adding that Krasikov served with the FSB’s elite and secretive Alpha unit.
Krasikov “served with some of the people working in the president’s security detail,” Peskov further informed reporters. According to a report by AFP, an investigation by the investigative journalism group Bellingcat previously linked Krasikov to the FSB. However, this was the first public confirmation from Moscow regarding his affiliation with the FSB.
Life sentence in Germany
Krasikov was serving a life sentence in Germany for the 2019 murder of Chechen rebel commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in a Berlin park. German judges determined the assassination was ordered by the Russian state. Khangoshvili had fought against the Russian state in the early 1990s but had since renounced armed struggle for Chechen independence.
Historic prisoner exchange
On Thursday, August 1, Krasikov was among ten Russians released in a historic prisoner exchange, which also saw Moscow release American citizens including Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva, along with several Russian dissidents and activists. Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the return of the Russian prisoners, stating, “The motherland never forgot about them.”
Germany played a pivotal role in facilitating this prisoner swap between Moscow and the West.
Victim’s relatives express dismay
Relatives of Khangoshvili expressed disappointment over Krasikov’s release. In a statement released by their lawyer, the Chechen rebel commander’s family said, “On one hand, we are glad that lives have been saved. But we are very disappointed that there are apparently no laws even in countries that put the rule of law on a pedestal.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but emphasized its necessity to save lives, a sentiment echoed by Justice Minister Marco Buschman.
