08 July,2010 08:17 AM IST | | Agencies
Russia and the United States are preparing to carry out a Cold War-style 'spy swap' as early as today to free 10 people the FBI accuses of being Russian agents, it was revealed yesterday.
Under the terms of the alleged deal, the Kremlin will hand over Igor Sutyagin, a Russian academic jailed for spying for the CIA in 2004, as well as Sergei Skripal, a former colonel in Russian military intelligence jailed for spying for Britain in 2006. The names of the other 'exchangees' were not disclosed.
Government officials in Russia and the United States refused to comment but it is understood that the FBI was eager to strike a deal to deport the Russian spy suspects, while a hearing for three of the suspects was mysteriously postponed.
Sutyagin's family and lawyer said he had told them that he was going to be swapped for one of the alleged Russian agents today in a handover in Vienna, Austria. He would then be flown to Britain.
Unconfirmed Russian media reports claimed that Sutyagin would be swapped for Anna Chapman, the alleged Kremlin agent who lived in Britain for several years.
