American prisoner released from Russia

Trevor Reed, a US citizen and former Marine who had been detained in Russia since 2019, has been released in a prisoner swap.

The release ends a nearly three-year ordeal for Reed, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in July 2020 for endangering the “life and health” of Russian police officers in an altercation.

Police officers escort US ex-marine Trevor Reed, charged with attacking police, into a courtroom prior to a hearing in Moscow on March 11, 2020.

Reed and his family have denied the charges against him.

Reed’s release will not impact the US approach to the war in Ukraine, senior administration officials said.

Reed’s release is part of a prisoner swap for Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on her official Telegram channel.

Yaroshenko was convicted of drug smuggling in 2011 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

He has denied the charges against him”. Today, we welcome home Trevor Reed and celebrate his return to the family that missed him dearly”.

Trevor, a former US Marine, is free from Russian detention.

“I heard in the voices of Trevor’s parents how much they’ve worried about his health and missed his presence. And I was delighted to be able to share with them the good news about Trevor’s freedom,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.