Former Russian Agents Discuss Life After Prisoner Exchange

Russian Agents’ Return: A Rare Interview

In a strikingly rare public appearance, two former Russian secret agents, Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva, shared their experiences during an interview aired on state television channel Russia-1. The couple returned to Moscow as part of a high-profile prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia. While posing as Argentinian citizens, they had settled in Slovenia in 2017, where they reportedly utilized their residence in Ljubljana to travel across various NATO and EU member states.

During the interview, a Russian reporter presented the couple’s children with a bag filled with stuffed toys, playfully asking how to say “Cheburashka,” a beloved character from Soviet and Russian cartoons, in Spanish. Astonishingly, the couple’s children appeared unaware of their parents’ true identities and did not speak Russian, their native language. Dultseva explained her own struggle, revealing that she had difficulty thinking or communicating in Russian after years of living abroad. Upon her return to Moscow, she found it challenging to readjust to her mother tongue.

Following their arrest in 2022, the couple’s two teenage children were placed in foster care, and there was a real threat of them being put up for adoption. Dultseva recounted, “We faced intimidation, with claims that the Argentinian side intended to take our children. There was a genuine fear that our kids could be adopted by another family.” However, she expressed gratitude towards Slovenian special services, who she believed worked tirelessly to ensure the children’s welfare and preserve the family unit.

Ilya Yashin: A Voice for the Voiceless

In a parallel development, Ilya Yashin, one of the political activists released by the Kremlin, took to his YouTube channel to express his heartfelt gratitude to supporters. He mentioned receiving around 30,000 letters and postcards during his imprisonment, stating, “These messages were literally my source of strength. Not a single day in prison did I feel abandoned, forgotten, or alone.” Despite his release, Yashin admitted he felt a heavy burden, knowing many of his comrades remained incarcerated.

He delved into details surrounding the recent prisoner swap, revealing that two additional Russian dissidents were expected to be released as part of the agreement. “The Russian side deceived and betrayed their counterparts during negotiations, effectively leaving Russian opposition activist Alexei Gorinov and Daniel Kholodny—an associate of the late Alexei Navalny—hostage,” Yashin lamented. Having been imprisoned in 2022 for openly criticizing Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Yashin pledged to remain steadfast in his anti-war stance. He also warned a German government official, saying, “If you allow Putin to devour Ukraine now, he will undoubtedly move on. We must not harbor any illusions.”

Concerns Over Press Freedom in Russia

The recent prisoner swap between Russia and the West marks the largest exchange since the Cold War, but experts caution against the implications it may hold for future relations and the treatment of journalists. Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, voiced significant concerns, stating, “Our worry is that this sets a dangerous precedent, encouraging future governments to feel empowered to abduct innocent journalists and use them as bargaining chips for the release of their own prisoners.”

Ginsberg emphasized that this exchange does not signal an improvement in press freedom within Russia. “This does not indicate that Russia has turned a corner or that press freedom has suddenly become a reality,” she asserted. In fact, Russia ranked as the fourth largest jailer of journalists globally in 2023, highlighting the severe restrictions and challenges faced by the media in the country.