GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour."

The waiting, the worrying, and the dreadful# wondering are over tonight for three Americans## who were jailed in Russia and their families.# Journalists Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva,## and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan# are heading home tonight after an## extraordinary deal struck among the U.S.,# its allies, and the Russian government.

A fourth person, a U.S. green card holder,# Vladimir Kara-Murza, was also released.

Nick Schifrin starts our coverage.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In 80 years of U.S.-Russia and U.S.# Soviet spy swaps, today's was the most complex,## two dozen people on one Ankara, Turkey, tarmac,# Russian dissidents, convicted Russian spies,## and detained Americans who will be coming# home and spoke to their family members in## the Oval Office on a day President# Biden called historic diplomacy.

JOE BIDEN, President of the United States:# This is an incredible relief for all the## family members gathered here.

It's a relief to# the friends and colleagues all across the country## who have been praying for# this day for a long time.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Among those released, 32-year-old# Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich,## the first journalist since the Cold War# sentenced in a Russian court for spying.

PAUL WHELAN, Released From Russian Prison: I# got a medical condition that prohibits this.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Former American Marine Paul# Whelan detained by Russia six years ago.## Russian-American Radio Free Europe/Radio# Liberty correspondent Alsu Kurmasheva,## sentenced to six-and-a-half years# for spreading false information.

They posed for a photo with U.S. officials# as they flew home.

Also released, American## resident and Russian-British# activist Vladimir Kara-Murza.

VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA, Russian Opposition# Activist: This personal accountability## may well be the only thing that# will make them think twice.

NICK SCHIFRIN: He's a Pulitzer Prize-winning# journalist and pro-democracy activist who## lobbied Congress to create the Magnitsky# Act, the U.S.' most well-known human rights## sanctions.

He was twice poisoned,# but kept returning to Russia to## try and create the democratic future he# envisioned, as he told me back in 2016.

VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA: We believe in the rule# of law.

We believe in human rights.

We believe## that Russia should enjoy the same democratic# institutions that the rest of Europe enjoys.

NICK SCHIFRIN: To get them out, the U.S. worked# with Germany, Slovenia, Norway, and Poland that## held Russian intelligence agents convicted# of crimes, who are now handed back to Russia,## most notably Vadim Krasikov, who murdered# a Russian dissident in a German playground.

President Vladimir Putin lauded# his work to Tucker Carlson.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President# (through translator): That person,## due to patriotic sentime.. NICK SCHIFRIN: Slovenia is releasing Russian# sleeper agents Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva,## who posed as Argentineans.

The administration# says their part of today's deal was finally## secured in a phone call between President# Biden and Slovenian Prime Minister Robert## Golob on July 21, just hours before President# Biden withdrew from the presidential race.

The U.S. is releasing what a senior administration# official says are three Russian intelligence## officials, each convicted by U.S. courts for# cyber crimes, hacking or sanctions evasion.

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. National Security Adviser: It# is difficult to send back a convicted criminal to## secure the release of an innocent American.

And# yet, sometimes, the choice is between doing that## and consigning that person basically to live out# their days in prison in a hostile foreign country.

NICK SCHIFRIN: A U.S. official tells PBS "News# Hour" the Central Intelligence Agency tried to## secure earlier versions of this deal, in January# 2023, the Slovenian sleeper agents for Whelan, in## March 2023, the Slovenian sleeper agents and two# other Russian agents for Whelan and Gershkovich.

Each was rejected by Russian intelligence,## which each time demanded Krasikov.

Germany's# willingness to send Krasikov began as an attempt## to try and release former opposition# leader Alexei Navalny.

That deal was## initially agreed to by President Biden and# Chancellor Olaf Scholz in early February.

But before Navalny's name could be formally# offered to Russia, Navalny died in a Russian## penal colony.

U.S. officials say they negotiated# for months, including a letter from Biden to## Scholz, and Germany finally agreed to# release Krasikov in return for some of## Navalny's former allies in Russian detention,# including Lilia Chanysheva and Ksenia Fadeyeva.

Russia is also releasing well-known# Russian human rights defender Oleg## Orlov and political prisoners# Sasha Skochilenko and Ilya Yashin,## jailed for criticizing the war in Ukraine,# all of whom get new lives in Germany.

JOE BIDEN: They stood up for democracy# and human rights.

Their own leaders## threw them in prison.

The United States# helped secure their release as well.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But not all Americans got out.# Army Staff Sergeant Gordon Black,.

who's been## sentenced to nearly four years in prison# for theft, will remain in Russian detention,## as will American teacher Marc Fogel, convicted# and sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2022.

His mother, Malphine, met with former# President Donald Trump in Butler,## Pennsylvania, the same day of his failed# assassination attempt.

As for those released,## Putin welcomed the Russian spies and their# families home.

And the American families## felt relief.

They will soon see their# loved ones for the first time in years.

And Miriam, Alsu Kurmasheva's younger# daughter, will celebrate her 13th birthday.

JOE BIDEN: Now she gets to celebrate with# her mom.

That's what this is all about,## families able to be together again,# like they should have been all along.

NICK SCHIFRIN: For the PBS# "News Hour," I'm Nick Schifrin.