MOSCOW, Jan 19, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - US ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy on Thursday visited Evan Gershkovich, the American Wall Street Journal reporter held in Moscow on espionage charges, the embassy said.

The 32-year-old was detained on a reporting trip to the Urals city of Yekaterinburg in March 2023, and is currently being held in Moscow's notorious Lefortovo prison.

"Evan remains resilient and grateful for the support of friends, family and supporters," the embassy said in a statement on social media. "We continue to call for Evan's immediate release."

Gershkovich, his employer and the US government vehemently reject the spying charges, the first to be levelled against a foreign journalist since the Soviet era.

He is set to remain in custody until at least January 30, pending a trial that could see him sentenced to 20 years imprisonment if found guilty.

President Vladimir Putin said in December he wanted Moscow and Washington to reach a "solution" to secure the reporter's release, but that talks were not straightforward.