Powers was held as a prisoner of war in the Soviet Union. On February 10, 1962, Powers was exchanged in a spy swap in Berlin. The exchange was for Soviet KGB Colonel Vilyam Fisher, known as "Rudolf Abel", who had been caught by the FBI and tried and jailed for espionage. Powers credited his father with the swap idea. When released, Powers's total time in captivity was 1 year, 9 months, and 10 days. 