The Zerohedge account of this swap suggests that a large number of Russian prisoners will be released. To me this suggests that the US is rather desperate to get the CIA’s Gershkovich back:
In a massive overnight night development, Russia has released Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan in a prisoner swap, Bloomberg and others confirm.
Some sources are saying that as many as 20 and 30 political prisoners and journalists might be part of a multi-country exchange reportedly in progress, but what's certain is that Gershkovich and Whelan are currently on their way to freedom.
"The men, jailed in Russia on espionage charges they and the US deny, are en route to destinations outside of Russia," reports Bloomberg. "The US and its allies will return prisoners to Russia that they hold under the deal, the people said, asking for anonymity to discuss matters that aren’t yet public."
And The Moscow Timesspeculated overnight as rumors swirled of an impending major deal with Moscow, "Russia may be preparing to free between 20 and 30 political prisoners and journalists in an imminent exchange with the United States and Germany, a source familiar with the planning said, in what, if confirmed, would be the largest swap since the end of the Cold War." However, these latter details have yet to be confirmed. It is also as yet unclear who on the Russian side is being freed.
Only very recently, on July 19, a Yekaterinburg handed down a very significant 16-year prison sentence in Gershkovich's espionage case, after he had been behind bars since is March 2023 arrest.
Russian authorities claim he was spying for the CIA while investigating a major Russian defense company in Yekaterinburg, a city which lies east of the Ural Mountains.
It is widely believed that Russia was using the case as a bargaining chip all along, in order to free high level Russian detainees in the West, just like the prisoner swap involving Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout played out.
As for Marine veteran Paul Whelan, who was issued a 16-year sentence in 2020 on charges of espionage - which the US government condemned as false and unfair - his family had long complained that his case didn't get the attention from Washington that it deserved. But his fate appears to have suddenly and drastically changed for the better.
Could it be that Tucker Carlson's big interview with President Vladimir Putin had a part to play, or got the ball rolling in the prisoner deal?
Tucker Carlson spent roughly 10 to 15 minutes imploring Vladimir Putin to release the WSJ's Evan Gershkovich, vehemently arguing why it's unjust to keep him -- in a way that no corporate journalist would ever dare do with Biden about Assange. https://t.co/YWZXNbRtS7pic.twitter.com/xsLsdUFwq8
The map below is old as regards the Lincoln, but the info re the bases is accurate. This has special interest in the context of Dmitry Medvedev’s statement that only a major war will ensure a “shaky peace” in the Middle East. One would be a fool to suppose that Iran and Russia are not consulting regularly on these matters and, more particularly, regarding recent Anglo-Zionist actions. These bases are within easy range of Iranian missiles and could be struck with little to no warning.
JUST IN Iran has warned the US through its allies that if they make a mistake, all their assets in the region will will be taken over and struck hard - Al Jarida
Douglas Macgregor @DougAMacgregor:
Unless someone intervenes and says you can't do this or we won't support you, I don't see much hope for a positive outcome in Israel.
This will end up becoming a death struggle and I'm not sure Israel will survive.
LJ is maintaining that a "bigger" war is inevitable:
https://sonar21.com/we-are-headed-to-war-in-the-middle-east/