Evan Gershkovich Reveals CIA Included Viagra in Prison Release Recovery Kit
American journalist Evan Gershkovich revealed that the CIA included Viagra in his recovery kit after his release from a Russian prison, alongside other details about his 2024 prisoner swap.
Evan Gershkovich, the American journalist who spent 16 months in a Russian prison on espionage charges, has revealed the unusual contents of the recovery kit provided to him by the CIA following his release in the historic 2024 prisoner swap.
The CIA's Unusual Recovery Kit
According to a report in the British newspaper The Telegraph, during the flight home to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Gershkovich was handed a small package. While the State Department typically puts together these recovery kits, this time the CIA handled the task, and they included a pill of Viagra.
"Maybe it's a smart thing, a traumatized person coming home and seeing his wife for the first time in years. Or is that just what the CIA takes with them on missions abroad? We couldn't figure that out," Gershkovich joked, noting that he kept the pill as a souvenir.
The report also noted that the journalist's mother had informed the State Department that he would appreciate a glass of whiskey on the flight home, and a senior administration official duly provided him with a bottle of High West Campfire. However, CIA agents forbade him from drinking it, arguing that he needed to be completely sober to meet then-US President Joe Biden immediately upon landing.
Captivity and Return to Normalcy
The Wall Street Journal reporter shared the details at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, where he was promoting his new memoir, "This Cursed Beautiful Land." Gershkovich was arrested by Russia's Federal Security Service in 2023 and subsequently sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security penal colony on espionage charges. After 16 months, he was released as part of the largest prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War.
Reflecting on his resilience, Gershkovich explained that he coped with the difficult period by establishing a routine that included reading, taking notes, and playing backgammon. When asked if he still looks over his shoulder for unwanted attention from Russian authorities, Gershkovich replied that he now feels safe, as he has fulfilled his usefulness to Moscow as a geopolitical bargaining chip.