US–Russia Prisoner Exchanges: A Historical Timeline

Since the 1962 Francis Gary Powers–Rudolf Abel swap on Berlin’s Glienicke Bridge, US–Russia prisoner exchanges have included landmark Cold War swaps, such as the 1963 Egorov-Makinen exchange and the 1986 Daniloff-Zakharov swap, before transitioning in the 21st century to broader negotiations like the 2010 “Illegals Program” spy swap.

In recent years, high-profile civilian exchanges have featured WNBA star Brittney Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout (2022), Marine veteran Trevor Reed for pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko (2022), and the multilateral release of 26 detainees in Ankara (2024).

Most recently, in 2025, teacher Marc Fogel and ballerina Ksenia Karelina were exchanged for cybercriminal Alexander Vinnik and smuggler Arthur Petrov, reflecting the evolving geopolitical landscape and the expanding scope of who is swapped in these sensitive diplomatic deals.