Putinswap: France trades alleged ransomware crook for conflict researcher

France and Russia conducted a prisoner swap, with Moscow pardoning French conflict researcher Laurent Vinatier and France releasing Daniil Kasatkin, a basketball player sought by the U.S. for allegedly facilitating ransomware negotiations for a major cybercrime group affecting approximately 900 victims, including two U.S. federal departments, between 2020 and 2022; the report frames the case within Russia’s broader “prisoner diplomacy” and prior exchanges involving cybercriminals, while offering no technical cyber details.