Kasatkin learned about his return to Russia at night in prison

On January 18, Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin told how he learned about his release from prison in France and his return to his homeland.

"I was lying down at that moment, watching basketball. And just as they came in and told me that, I started rushing from side to side and didn't understand. They said, "pack your things." <...> After 7-8 hours, I was driving along Arbat, looking at the Kremlin and met with my parents," he said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV channel.

The athlete also expressed gratitude to the government and all the people who helped in his return.

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Kasatkin was released from a French prison on the night of January 8th. The athlete's lawyer, Frederic Belo, noted that French Prime Minister Sebastian Lecorn had not signed the decision on Kasatkin's extradition to the United States.

At the same time, the FSB of Russia confirmed that the basketball player, who was a suspect in the cybercrime case and was under threat of extradition to the United States, had been returned to the Russian Federation. He was exchanged for the Frenchman Laurent Vinatier, convicted in Russia (recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent), who was found guilty of espionage.

Before that, in October 2025, a Paris court ordered Kasatkin's extradition to the United States. The Russian Embassy condemned the French decision. Belo later reported that the athlete did not challenge the court's decision on his extradition.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.