Brittney Griner Released: Videos Show Exact Moment WNBA Star Was Released from Russian Penal Colony, Swapped for Viktor Bout

Brittney Griner, a WNBA superstar and Olympic gold medalist, and convicted Russian weapons dealer Viktor Bout were seen exchanging words on the tarmac in a video that was made public on Thursday.

Fox News reported that Griner and Bout were shown boarding their respective aircraft to go back to their respective nations on television. According to Russian state TV, the video of the tarmac interaction was most likely filmed in the United Arab Emirates.

Hours after the US-Russia prisoner swap's formal announcement, the footage was made public. Russian government news agency TASS filmed and broadcast the clip on Thursday.

Brittney Griner was seen in the video going with authorities outside of private jets while wearing a red jacket before speaking with Bout.

Once they were within a few feet of one another, the males in the video all shook hands. As the Phoenix Mercury star seemed to approach the guns dealer, the camera shut off, making it unclear whether Griner and Bout followed suit.

It's evident in the video that Griner's distinctive dreadlocks have been removed. Her hair was still long when she was last seen, which was during a court hearing in late October.

Happy To Come Back Home

Additional footage made available on Thursday reveals Griner was in a terrific mood after the completion of the deal between the two nations. saying she was "good" and "happy" to someone on an airplane.

Cherelle Griner, her wife, expressed her joy that her wife was returning home on Thursday morning at the White House, describing how she felt her family was once again complete, TMZ Sports reported.

Before beginning the swap, Brittney Griner was questioned about her mood and her awareness of her destination. The athlete said she was "happy" and had no idea where she was headed, until learning it was the United States.

On February 17, Brittney Griner was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport when Russian officials claimed she had vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her baggage.

She was sentenced to nine years in prison on August 4 after entering a guilty plea and claiming that she had accidentally packed cannabis after it had been prescribed to her for pain relief. In October, her sentence was affirmed by a Russian court, and she was then moved to a prison colony.

Viktor Bout is dubbed the "Merchant of Death," and a trade for him was suggested back in May, according to CBS News. He was serving a 25-year federal sentence for conspiring to assassinate Americans in service of a Colombian terrorist group. The Nicolas Cage movie "Lord of War" was influenced by Bout's exploits.

Months of Negotiations Secured Brittney Griner's Release

Since July, there have been rumors that the White House and the Kremlin were negotiating the release of Brittney Griner Russia and ex-US Marine Paul Whelan in exchange for the release of Viktor Bout's.

According to Biden Administration officials, Brittney Griner Russia drug possession case might have resulted in a nine-year sentence.

Whelan is now serving a 16-year sentence after being charged with espionage by Moscow in 2018. The White House has maintained that Russia unlawfully arrested Whelan and Griner.

When Washington and Moscow reached their agreement on the prisoner swap, Whelan was not a part of it, as per a New York Post story.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden remarked that the prisoner swap was not a decision of "which American to bring home."

Tags

Russia, United States, Washington, Moscow, White House