Reuters exclusive on Russia-U.S. spy swap

In a major beat, Reuters broke the news on July 7 that Russia and the United States were preparing the biggest spy swap since the Cold War. Quoting a lawyer involved in the negotiations, Reuters in Moscow reported that the swap would take place in Vienna – exchanging 10 Russian agents arrested in the United States for four prisoners convicted of espionage in Russia. The swap was tangible evidence that Washington and Moscow would not allow the discovery of a Russian spy network in the United States to damage improving relations. The Reuters bulletin was sent at 0853 GMT - more than an hour before our closest competitor, and it was widely quoted by the world’s media. The swap duly took place two days later.