WASHINGTON, January 17. /TASS/. The Russian government is pressing for the release of all Russian citizens in US custody and a dialogue on prisoner exchange is underway, the ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, has told TASS in an interview.

"With regard to prisoner exchanges, I would like to note that a dialogue on this issue is being conducted through the relevant agencies. The repatriation [to Russia] of Konstantin Yaroshenko and Viktor Bout are clear examples of how effective such cooperation can be," Antonov said without going into the details of the ongoing consultations.

Antonov stated that ensuring the rights of Russian citizens in US penitentiaries "is one of the embassy’s unconditional priorities."

"Our diplomats closely monitor the health and conditions of our [incarcerated] compatriots, maintain regular telephone communication with them, and make visits to prisons," the ambassador noted.

He recalled that last year he personally visited Alexander Vinnik, Vladislav Klushin, Anatoly Legkodymov, Dmitry Ukrainsky and Vadim Konoschenok.

"It was a very jarring experience. I saw hope in the eyes of all those Russians. I saw faith in the strength of the Russian state. Many of them are experiencing serious health problems. In the near future I intend to visit Vladislav Klushin, as well as Roman Seleznev, Alexander Vinnik and others," Antonov said.

"We try to help them, but, alas, not everything is within our power. I cannot but mention the particularly serious condition of Roman Seleznev. He must be brought back to his home country as soon as possible.

We will continue our efforts to secure the release of all Russian citizens [incarcerated in US prisons]. We will press for their early return home," Antonov said.

The full text of the interview is available on the TASS website: https://tass.com/politics/1733371.