英语文摘：U.S. confirms completion of spy swap with Russia

英语文摘：U.S. confirms completion of spy swap with Russia

日期:2010-07-10

WASHINGTON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Justice Department on Friday confirmed that the United States and Russia have successfully completed a spy swap in Vienna, Austria.

Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said in a statement that the exchange of 14 convicted spies from Russia and the United States was completed early Friday.

It was the largest spy swap between the two countries since the Cold War.

Two flights, one from Russia and the other from the United States, landed at the Vienna airport at 11:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT) and parked side by side on the tarmac.

They took off about an hour and a half later.

Russian aircraft rolls on a runway as an aircraft of the United States stands on the tarmac after an exchange of spies at Vienna airport A Russian aircraft (L) rolls on a runway to prepare for takeoff, as an aircraft of the United States stands on the tarmac, after an exchange of spies at Vienna airport July 9, 2010. The biggest spy swap since the end of the Cold War was underway on Friday after Russia and the United States spymasters brokered a deal for 10 Russian spies to be deported from the U.S., in return for four agents serving jail terms in Russia on charges of spying for the West. The current scandal broke when the United States said on June 28 it has uncovered a ring of suspected Russian secret agents who were using false identities to try to gather sensitive intelligence on the United States. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) declined all comment on details of the affair. (Xinhua/Reuters)

A Russian aircraft (L) rolls on a runway to prepare for takeoff, as an aircraft of the United States stands on the tarmac, after an exchange of spies at Vienna airport July 9, 2010.

The Russian plane was believed to be carrying 10 Russian agents who had been deported from the United States in exchange for four pardoned agents, including nuclear scientist Igor Sutjagin and three double agents.

Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed the swap in a statement, saying that the trade was based on humanitarian grounds and principled constructive partnership.