Daily SumUp

Russian President Vladimir Putin kissed and hugged some of the Russian prisoners swapped on Thursday as they were given the red carpet treatment on the tarmac in Moscow.

Among those disembarking from a Russian government plane after the exchange in Turkey appeared to be Russian hit man Vadim Krasikov, who was embraced by the Kremlin leader.

Also getting off the plane were Anna Valerevna Dultseva and Artem Viktorovich Dultsev, two convicted Russian spies caught in Slovenia who posed as an Argentine couple, as well as their two children. Putin handed a large bouquet of flowers to Dultseva and kissed her on the cheek as she held back tears.

"First of all, I want to congratulate everyone on their return to their homeland," he said. "Now I want to address those of you who are directly involved in military service, I want to thank you for your loyalty to the oath, your duty and the motherland, which has never forgotten you for a minute."

Putin said that those who returned as part of the exchange will be presented with state awards, according to Russian state news agencies.

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News Voiced and Reported by: Soha.M

Sources: Al Jazeera | AP | AOL | DW | Reuters

Genre: Current Affairs | Geo-Politics | Russia | Prisoners | Putin | America