The Spy Children Did Not Know They Were Russians

Updated:

Published:

The Spy Children Did Not Know They Were Russians
Photo: Kirill Zykov/AP/TT

A "normal family" who lived under false names in Slovenia has been returned to Russia in the historic prisoner exchange with Western countries. The two children, who did not know they were Russians, speak no Russian but were welcomed to Moscow by Vladimir Putin himself.

The Russian power headquarters, the Kremlin, confirms that the Russian couple, Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva, who were released in this week's extensive prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries, are spies.

In Slovenia, the couple lived under false names and pretended to be an Argentine couple who ran an IT company and an art gallery in Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana, before they were arrested in 2022. Their two children did not know they were Russian citizens.

The children who arrived yesterday found out they were Russians when they were on the plane from Ankara, said the Kremlin's spokesperson, Dmitrij Peskov, to reporters in Moscow.

The two children do not speak Russian. When President Putin received the family at the airport, he greeted the children with "buenas noches" – Spanish for good evening.

Peskov further confirmed that Vadim Krasikov, who was also released, is an agent for the Russian security service, FSB. According to Peskov, the agent has served in the security service's secretive elite unit "Alfa".

Vadim Krasikov was convicted in 2021 in Germany for murdering a Chechen in a park in Berlin on orders from the Russian security service.

Ten Russians – eight prisoners and the two children – were released in the historic prisoner exchange. Putin praised the prisoners and said:

The Motherland never forgot you.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Trump Sets Sunday Deadline for Hamas Ceasefire Agreement

Trump Sets Sunday Deadline for Hamas Ceasefire Agreement

Trump Halts $2.1 Billion Infrastructure Project in Chicago

Trump Halts $2.1 Billion Infrastructure Project in Chicago

Police May Have Accidentally Shot Victim in Manchester Synagogue Attack

Police May Have Accidentally Shot Victim in Manchester Synagogue Attack

Russian Drone Attack Kills 13,000 Pigs in Ukraine Farm Fire

Russian Drone Attack Kills 13,000 Pigs in Ukraine Farm Fire

Russia Launches Largest Attack on Ukraine's Gas Infrastructure

Russia Launches Largest Attack on Ukraine's Gas Infrastructure

Hamas Seeks More Time to Respond to Israel's Peace Proposal

Hamas Seeks More Time to Respond to Israel's Peace Proposal

Anglican Church Appoints First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

Anglican Church Appoints First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

Luxembourg Welcomes New Grand Duke Guillaume

Luxembourg Welcomes New Grand Duke Guillaume

Swedish Activists, Including Greta Thunberg, Imprisoned and on Hunger Strike

Swedish Activists, Including Greta Thunberg, Imprisoned and on Hunger Strike

Danish and Norwegian F-35 Jets Bolster NATO's Eastern Defense

Danish and Norwegian F-35 Jets Bolster NATO's Eastern Defense

Israel Criticizes UK for Failing to Curb Anti-Semitic Incitement

Israel Criticizes UK for Failing to Curb Anti-Semitic Incitement

Suspected Russian Shadow Vessel Boracay Continues Journey After Arrest

Suspected Russian Shadow Vessel Boracay Continues Journey After Arrest

Denmark Accuses Russia of Hybrid Warfare Amid Rising Drone Incidents

Denmark Accuses Russia of Hybrid Warfare Amid Rising Drone Incidents

Helsinki Court Acquits Eagle S Crew in Gulf of Finland Cable Case

Helsinki Court Acquits Eagle S Crew in Gulf of Finland Cable Case

Over 50 Dead as Typhoon Bualoi Hits Vietnam

Over 50 Dead as Typhoon Bualoi Hits Vietnam

Missing Norwegian Soldiers Located Safe After Navigation Error

Missing Norwegian Soldiers Located Safe After Navigation Error

Moroccan Protests Persist Despite Fatalities and Rising Tensions

Moroccan Protests Persist Despite Fatalities and Rising Tensions

Trump's Military Speech Sparks Concerns Over US Trustworthiness

Trump's Military Speech Sparks Concerns Over US Trustworthiness

Czech Republic Votes: Ex-PM Babis Eyes Return with Far-Right Alliance

Czech Republic Votes: Ex-PM Babis Eyes Return with Far-Right Alliance

Over 200 Protesters Arrested at The Hague Train Station

Over 200 Protesters Arrested at The Hague Train Station