The American hostages freed in a prisoner swap with Russia on Thursday were seen smiling and proudly displaying a US flag in the first official photo of the trio since their release.
Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan were all set free in the biggest prisoner swap between the US and Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The multi-nation deal set more than two dozen people free, according to the White House, and was the result of lengthy and clandestine behind-the-scenes negotiations, which were successful despite relations between Moscow and Washington being the worst they’ve been since the Cold War.
