On Saturday, Butina will return to Moscow, one day after being released from a Florida prison and deported back to Russia. Shortly after Butina’s arrest in July 2018, the Foreign Ministry started a social media campaign to decry the U.S. case against the Russian national. AdvertisementLike Butina, Chapman was portrayed in the international media as a bombshell redhead sent to the U.S. to conduct the Kremlin’s clandestine operations. The Kremlin welcomed Chapman, who was an agent of Russian intelligence service, and provided a soft landing in Moscow. AdvertisementButina could pursue a political career, said George Bovt, a Russian political scientist, in a commentary for a Russian news outlet.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 25, 2019 21:45 UTC