MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Roman Seleznev, one of the Russian citizens who returned to his country via the recent prisoner exchange with the US and its allies, shared his impressions of Russian President Vladimir Putin after meeting him upon his arrival in Moscow.
On Thursday Russia's Federal Security Service confirmed that eight Russians detained and held in custody in a number of NATO countries had returned home. A plane carrying them arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo-2 airport late in the day, where they were greeted by President Putin. Russia, in turn, has released 16 people, including seven Russian and five German citizens.
"Yes, we exchanged a few words when we entered the airport building. I want to say that he is very humane. I never thought that such a high-ranking official could also be so humane," Selezney told the Izvestia newspaper when asked whether he had spoken with the president after a photo session.
Seleznev did not reveal the details of what he discussed with President Putin but said there was nothing secret about it.
"When I talked to him, I felt simply human emotions," he said. "When you see him on TV it's one thing, but when he talks to you in person you understand that he cares about everyone. I saw him wipe away a girl's tear. He is a wonderful person, and I thank him very much for saving me."
Seleznev said that meeting the president at the airport meant a lot to him.
"First of all the president is a man, and he seems to know all his people who are in trouble. He is a man," Selezney concluded.
The United States, Russia, Germany, and other Western countries struck a deal for a 24-person prisoner swap, one of the largest prisoner exchange agreements since the end of the Cold War.
A Russian intelligence source said Thursday that the list of Russians returning home included Artem Dultsey, Anna Dultseva, Pavel Rubtsov, Vadim Konoshchenok, Mikhail Mikushin, Roman Selezney, Vladislav Klyushin and several minor children. Russian citizen Vadim Sokolov (also known as Krasikov), who was serving a life sentence in Germany, also returned to Russia, the source said.
A Sputnik correspondent later reported that a plane carrying former US Marine Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva had landed in Joint Base Andrews in Maryland late Thursday.