Ksenia Karelina, a dual citizen of the United States and Russia, was convicted in Russia for contributing a modest amount to a Ukrainian charity based in the US and received a 12-year prison sentence. She was released on Thursday as part of an uncommon prisoner exchange between the US and Russia, as reported.
Ksenia Karelina, a dual citizen of the US and Russia, was released on Thursday following a rare prisoner exchange between the two nations. She had been sentenced to 12 years in prison in Russia for contributing a modest amount to a Ukrainian charity based in the US, an act that Russian authorities deemed as “treasonous support” for Ukraine.
As reported by Politico, Karelina received her sentence earlier this year. A former ballet dancer, she became a US citizen in 2021 after marrying an American and moving to Los Angeles.
In exchange for Karelina’s release, the United States freed Artur Petrov, a dual German-Russian national who was apprehended in Cyprus in 2023 at the behest of US authorities. He faced allegations concerning the illicit export of sensitive American microelectronics, according to the report.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Thursday, as quoted by Politico, “American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States. She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year, and President Trump secured her release,” adding that Trump “will continue to work for the release of ALL Americans.”
The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the exchange, indicated that it occurred at Abu Dhabi airport and was facilitated through a deal negotiated by intelligence agencies.
Negotiations for the swap were led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and a senior official from Russian intelligence, as reported by the journal, citing a CIA source.
Later on Thursday, Russia’s Federal Security Service confirmed the exchange.
This event marks the second prisoner swap between the US and Russia since President Trump assumed office earlier this year. In February, the Biden administration successfully negotiated the release of American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who had been detained in Russia on drug charges, in exchange for Russian entrepreneur Alexander Vinnik.
