 "Who is Vadim Krasikov, the Russian assassin released in the mass prisoner swap with US?")
Vadim Krasikov, a convicted Russian assassin, has been released as part of a high-stakes prisoner swap between Moscow and the West on Thursday.
Krasikov, who was serving a life sentence in Germany for the killing of a former Chechen rebel commander in 2019, has now become a pivotal figure in a complex prisoner exchange.
President Biden revealed the West secured the freedom of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, along with five Germans and seven Russians who were being held as political prisoners.
The massive prisoner swap has garnered significant attention and highlights the persistent complexities of international negotiations and the intersections of intelligence and diplomacy.
But who was Krasikov and what does his release mean for Russia? Let’s take a closer look
What was Krasikov’s crime?
Krasikov, 58, was imprisoned in Germany in 2021 for the murder of Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian who had fought against Russian forces in Chechnya and later sought asylum in Berlin.
On 23 August 2019, Khangoshvili was shot from behind near Berlin’s Kleiner Tiergarten park in broad daylight with a silenced handgun. Witnesses saw the shooter discard a bike, a gun, and a dark wig into the nearby Spree River. Police apprehended him before he could escape on an electric scooter.
Commenting on Khangoshvili’s murder, Putin described the former Chechen commander as a “fighter, very cruel and bloody” who had joined separatists against Russian forces in the Caucasus and also been involved in bombing attacks on the Moscow metro.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAccording to German media, Khangoshvili had survived two previous assassination attempts in Georgia before seeking asylum in Germany.
Throughout his trial, Krasikov remained silent, communicating only through his lawyer. He insisted he had been misidentified, claiming to be a Russian construction engineer named Vadim Sokolov. However, a Berlin court found him guilty of murder in 2021.
German authorities asserted that Krasikov had acted on orders from Russian officials, who provided him with a false identity and resources for the operation. At his sentencing, judges noted his ties to the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s main intelligence agency, which succeeded the KGB and served him a life term in jail.
‘A patriot’
The case sparked a major diplomatic conflict between Russia and Germany, leading to mutual diplomatic expulsions.
The Kremlin has consistently denied any involvement, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov labelling the allegations as “absolutely groundless” and denouncing the sentencing as a “political” decision.
However, for Putin, a former KGB officer, the release of Russian operatives like Krasikov is crucial for the success of future undercover missions, showing that Moscow would negotiate for the agents’ release even if they are caught.
Since then, Krasikov has topped the Kremlin’s list for an exchange. At one point, there were discussions about including high-profile figures, such as the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in a potential prisoner swap.
President Vladimir Putin first hinted at Krasikov’s inclusion in a potential prisoner swap with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was jailed in Russia on espionage charges, during a February interview with Fox News journalist Tucker Carlson.
Although Putin did not explicitly name Krasikov, he clearly referred to him while mentioning a Russian “patriot” imprisoned in a “US-allied country” for “liquidating a bandit” who had killed Russian soldiers during the Caucasus conflicts.
“There is a person serving a sentence in a US ally. That person, out of patriotic sentiments, eliminated a bandit in a European capital,” Putin was quoted as saying by AFP.
Not an easy decision: Germany
Reacting to Krasikov’s release, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, said the decision to send him back to Russia was guided by Berlin’s duty to German citizens and solidarity with the United States.
“This was not an easy decision,” Hebestreit stated.
He explained that the release of those “wrongfully” held in Russia, as well as a German detained in Belarus, could only be achieved by deporting Russians “with an intelligence background” held in Europe, such as Krasikov.
Hebestreit also acknowledged the public interest in enforcing a prison sentence on a convicted criminal but emphasised that this had to be balanced against the “freedom, welfare, and in some cases the lives of innocent people detained in Russia.”
“Our obligation to protect German citizens and solidarity with the US were important motivations,” Hebestreit said, further calling on “the Russian and Belarusian leadership to release all unjustly imprisoned political detainees.” He expressed solidarity with “all those who are still imprisoned in Russia for expressing their opinions and for telling the truth about Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine.”
With inputs from agencies
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
