Trevor Reed: US marine released in prisoner swap with Russia

A former US marine held in a Russian jail since 2019 has been released in a prisoner swap.

US and Russian officials confirmed on Wednesday that Trevor Reed is on his way back to the US.

In exchange, Russia's foreign ministry secured the release of Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian national jailed on drug smuggling charges.

The Reed family wrote that their "prayers have been answered".

In a statement, they said the marine would tell his story after addressing "the myriad of health issues" brought on by living in a Russian gulag.

President Joe Biden said he had been "delighted" to share the news of Mr Reed's return with his parents.

"I heard in the voices of Trevor's parents how much they've worried about his health and missed his presence," he said.

Mr Reed was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2020 after being convicted of assaulting two Russian officers on a drunken night out in Moscow.

Maintaining that he had no recollection of the incident, he pleaded not guilty and appealed both his conviction and prison sentence.

The US government also voiced concerns about the fairness of his trial. US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan recently said that Mr Reed "remains in prison for a crime he didn't commit".

According to the Reeds, their son was poorly treated in prison and contracted tuberculosis at one point.