US journalist Evan Gershkovich and former US marine Paul Whelan are expected to be released by Russia as part of one of the biggest East-West prisoner swaps since the Cold War, according to US media Thursday.

CNN and other US networks reported the news, with ABC News reporting that the swap involved numerous countries and Russia.

There was no immediate confirmation from US officials. The Kremlin declined to comment on any exchange.

"I still have no comment on this topic," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich, 32, was detained in March 2023 and convicted in July on spying charges in a fast-track trial denounced as a sham by the United States.

Signs of an imminent prisoner swap had picked up momentum on Thursday, amid reports a plane used in a previous exchange deal had landed in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

Hopes had also risen in recent days days after a number of high-profile prisoners in Russia, including Whelan, went missing........

© International Business Times