The Kremlin has confirmed that Vadim Krasikov, recently freed by Germany in a high-stakes prisoner swap, was a serving officer of Russia’s secret police, the FSB. This admission reveals that his 2019 murder of a Chechen exile in Berlin was likely a state-sanctioned hit. The release of Krasikov was a crucial part of a complex negotiation involving 16 people, including American reporter Evan Gershkovich.

Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, revealed that Krasikov is indeed an FSB agent and...