Putin’s ominous message: ‘We can kill people in broad daylight in EU, we’ll take care of our people’

The Kremlin on Friday said that at least three Russians freed in a landmark prisoner exchange were undercover Russian agents, a rare public admission into the work of Moscow’s top-secret security services. Moscow said Vadim Krasikov — who was serving life in prison in Germany for the 2019 brazen murder of a former Chechen separatist commander in broad daylight in a Berlin park — was an elite operative with Russia’s FSB security agency. Krasikov was one of the central figures in Thursday’s historic multi-country exchange, with Putin having publicly lobbied for his release in a bid to get the deal over the line in the face of hesitation from Berlin. The Kremlin almost never reveals details about its sprawling intelligence agencies, but it confirmed Friday that at least two others freed in the deal were also long-term undercover agents stationed in the European Union. Russian President Vladimir Putin has portrayed them as returning heroes, personally thanking them for their service to the “Motherland” and promising to shower them with state awards. For in-depth analysis on the largest US-Russia prisoner swap in post-Soviet history, FRANCE 24’s Mark Owen is joined by Melinda Haring, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.

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26 comments

  3. there are more than 20 thousands US aliens living in Russian peaceful Just dont Come to Russia to spy and spread US propaganda

  4. Hello, could you add a date to your video titles? Since YouTube removed dates from search results, it's become harder to quickly find the latest content without clicking through multiple videos. This might affect your viewership negatively.

  6. It is also necessary to expose Russian assets in politics.

    Aaron Banks, Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, Carrie Johnson, Daniel Kawczynski, John Redwood, Caroline Nokes, Matthew Elliott to name just some of the British ones.

    In France, Marine Le Pen has made no secret of her involvement as Russia has financed both political and personal activities.

  9. Lord Jesus christ, we ask you to save your angels on the four corners in the universe
    from Vladimir Putins, or whom ever's super sonic missiles, as he has already hit one angel on the corner of universe that hold back the wind we ask lord Jesus christ that you recover your angel that was hit by a missile strike on one corner of universe we ask lord Jesus christ that you forgive the ignorance and neglective men in the world that they neglect not the gifts that our in side them and bring their attention back to the things that aren't of this world we ask and plead the blood in the name of the lord Jesus christ amen

  10. The video title says it all. So good.

    I don't like the sentiment. I don't think anyone likes it.

    The West is lawful. Russia is clearly run as a mafia state, where "laws" are there to suit the leading Siloviki.

  13. Going and asking questions in a weapons factory while the country is at war is simply madness, especially when you are from a hostile country.

  15. For Vadim Krasikov it was not entirely with impunity, as he can no longer leave Russia and served 5-years in jail with no certainty he would ever be released.

  16. "Ominous"?? Well, its something that EU civilizations does since tens of centuries all around the world; killing people in the day light.

  18. vladimir, the little man who can kill people anywhere. The poor sod who brings sorrow to anyone in his path. A being so nefarious he has no ambitions for others but his own. History has foretold his destiny.

  20. Someone missing among the released prisoners should have never returned to Russia. Did not anyone discourage him from forfeiting a rare reprieve?

  25. that surely werent easy negotiations. But they are a glimpse of hope that diplomacy could replace weaponry.

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