Watch as Wall Street Journal newsroom erupts in applause following Gershkovich release

Video shows the Wall Street Journal newsroom celebrating after the announcement of the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich from Russian prison.

Gershkovich, along with ex-US Marine Paul Whelan and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, were part of a large-scale prisoner exchange involving 24 prisoners −acknowledged as the biggest swap between the East and West since the Cold War. The three landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland from Turkey on Thursday before midnight and was greeted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

“This is an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and strengthening alliances,” Harris told reporters. “This is an incredible day and you can see it in the families and in their eyes.”

Gershkovich of New Jersey was working at the Wall Street Journal's Moscow bureau when he was detained last year amid hostility between the West and Russia regarding the conflict with Ukraine. The reporter, who is fluent in Russian, was accused of gathering information for the CIA and sentenced to 16 years in prison for espionage.

More on prison swap:Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan are back home after historic prisoner swap

#IStandWithEvan

In the video, the staff at the Wall Street Journal's New York Office erupted in applause after news of Gershkovich's release. The 32-year-old's colleagues have consistently denounced his detainment, raising awareness with the hashtag #IStandWithEvan.

Last month, some of them shaved their hair to stand in solitary with Gershkovich, calling his trial a "sham."

WSJ Editor and Chief Emma Tucker wrote in an open letter about the news after a months-long wait: "We are grateful to President Biden and his administration for working with persistence and determination to bring Evan home rather than see him shipped off to a Russian work camp for a crime he didn’t commit. We are also grateful to the other governments that helped bring an end to Evan’s nightmare, in particular the German government, which played such a critical role."

 "We are celebrating the return of Evan. While we waited for this momentous day, we were determined to be as loud as we could be on Evan’s behalf, Tucker continued. " We are so grateful for all the voices that were raised when his was silent. We can finally say, in unison, “Welcome home, Evan.” 

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].