Photo: NTV

A total of 26 prisoners from seven countries were successfully exchanged at Ankara Esenboga Airport in Turkey on Thursday, according to Turkish intelligence agency MIT, which mediated the swap.

Of those swapped in Ankara, 10 are now heading to Russia, while 13 are flying to Germany and another three to the United States, Turkish channel NTV said.

The swap, which is by far the biggest international prisoner exchange since the Cold War, involved Russia releasing 16 prisoners including Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Alsu Kurmasheva, Andrey Pivovarov, Oleg Orlov, Alexandra Skochilenko, Lilia Chanysheva, Ksenia Fadeyeva, Evan Gershkovich, Rico Krieger, Kevin Lik, Demuri Voronin, Vadim Ostanin, Patrick Schoebel, Paul Whelan and German Moyzhes, according to independent Russian media outlet The Insider.

In return, Russia was reportedly handed Vadim Krasikov, Artyom Dultsev, Anna Dultseva, Mikhail Mikushin, Pavel Rubtsov, Roman Seleznyov, Vladislav Klushin and Vadim Konoschenko.