Children of Russian spies discover their true nationality during Moscow trip
The children discovered their true nationality in Moscow during a prisoner exchange involving multiple countries
In a curious turn of events, the children of a pair of Russian intelligence agents discovered their true nationality while traveling to Moscow as part of a historic prisoner exchange. The revelation occurred mid-flight from Ankara to Moscow, according to the Kremlin's announcement last Friday.
The couple, identified as Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva, were part of a 24-prisoner exchange in a complex multinational agreement involving Russia, the United States, Belarus, and Germany. Among those released were high-profile American detainees and Russian dissidents. Dultsev and Dultseva, who had been living undercover in Slovenia under false identities as an Argentine couple, were convicted of espionage before their release.
The revelation of their true identity was a shock to the children, who until then believed they were Argentine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the children "found out they were Russian only when the plane took off from Ankara." Upon landing in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin greeted them on the tarmac, speaking to them in Spanish since the children do not speak Russian and did not know who Putin was. "When the children came down the plane's stairs, Putin greeted them in Spanish, saying 'Buenas noches,'" Peskov recounted.
In an emotional meeting, Anna Dultseva, holding back tears, hugged Putin on the tarmac, where a red carpet was laid out. Putin, holding bouquets of flowers, kissed Dultseva on the cheek and shoulder, then handed flowers to both her and her daughter. Artem Dultsev also received a brief hug from Putin before the group of released prisoners walked down the red carpet.
The prisoner exchange, which took place on Thursday, was the result of years of complex negotiations between the involved powers. Moscow demanded the release of Vadim Krasikov, a convicted Russian assassin, as part of the deal. In total, eight people, including Krasikov, were returned to Russia in exchange for the release of 16 detainees in Russia, among them former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, and two other Americans.
Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva had pleaded guilty to espionage in a Ljubljana court before their release. During their time in Slovenia, Dultsev posed as a tech entrepreneur under the name Ludvig Gisch, while Dultseva assumed the identity of Maria Rosa Mayer Munos, an art dealer. Both were sentenced to time served and were banned from entering Slovenia for five years.