Interestingly, most of the released Russians are in one way or another involved in cybercrime, including hacking, crypto and other malicious ops.

Viktor Bout was already traded for a basketball player. Feels like Russia is rounding out their team.

of course the main reason was to free Vadim Krasikov, who shot Zelimkhan Khangoshviliat at noon in a Berlin park.

On the other hand, it sounds like we probably are gonna let Gordon Black sit in the gulag for four years over there, though he did a little more than just "espionage"...

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-army-stops-paying-soldie...

I'm happy they are coming back but at this point the government really needs to take the hard stance that if you go to Russia for any reason, you are on your own.

Archive / paywall: <https://archive.is/7OJFK>

So Russia takes mostly innocent Westerners hostage and we’re forced to let evil people go to free them?

There should not be any more bailouts after this. If you travel to Russia, you’re on your own. It’s not justifiable letting FSB hitmen free.

Half of those hitmen die soon thereafter on a cold basement floor. The theater is to show wishy-washy FSB who might attempt defection that, even in the custody of a satellite state, Russia can always reach/liberate them.

Among released 16 prisoners only 6 are Westerners, and even among those 2 or 3 have Russian citizenship as well. So Putin just swaps Russian citizens for other Russian citizens and that’s why it’s such a big deal - it’s the first time I can think of when West plays along with Russian democratic opposition so bold.