Brittney Griner to land in San Antonio after release in prisoner swap

Griner will be on U.S. soil “within 24 hours,” Biden said Thursday morning. He thanked administration officials and the United Arab Emirates for helping to facilitate Griner’s return. “This is a day we’ve worked toward for a long time,” he said.

Bout arrived in Moscow late Thursday, Russian state-backed news outlets reported.

In a phone interview with CNN from the remote penal colony where he is being detained, Whelan said he was “greatly disappointed” that the Biden administration has not done more to secure his release.

In a cinematic moment captured on video, shared by Russian state media, Griner and Bout can be seen passing each other on the runway of an airport in the United Arab Emirates, where the exchange took place.