The US basketball player Brittney Griner (32) broke her silence for the first time after her return from Russian captivity. On her official Instagram account, she posted the moment she got off the plane in her home country last week and hugged her waiting wife Cherelle a little later. She captioned the pics, "It feels so good to be home!" The past ten months have been a struggle at every turn. She had to "dig deep" in order not to lose her faith.

The love of many people helped her to persevere: "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help." She also announced that she would continue her basketball career in the coming season. She will then appear again for her former club Phoenix Mercury. She would also like to work for the release of other US prisoners in Russia in the future: "Every family deserves to be complete."

Griner, who has played for Russian club UGMK Yekaterinburg since 2015, was arrested on arrival at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February for possession and smuggling of drugs. She was carrying hash oil, which is legally available in her native Arizona. In a sensational trial, she was sentenced to nine years in prison in August. After long negotiations between Russia and the USA, Griner was out against the arms dealer Wiktor But (55), who was imprisoned in the USA.