Washington [US], April 11: Ksenia Karelina, a US-Russian dual national sentenced to 12 years in Russia for donating about $50 to a group that supports Ukraine, was released as part of a prisoner swap, officials in Washington and Moscow said.
"American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X. "She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year and President Trump secured her release." In return, the US agreed to hand over Russian-German dual national Arthur Petrov, Russia's FSB security service said. Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 on a US warrant for allegedly violating export control laws and later transferred to the United States. The FSB said he faced 20 years in prison.
The swap took place in Abu Dhabi.
Karelina had been convicted of treason by a court in Yekaterinburg last year for raising funds for a Ukrainian aid organization.
The Los Angeles resident and amateur ballerina had travelled to Russia to visit her family, her supporters said. While there she was taken into custody for having collected the money - and thus working against Russia's security.
According to the court, the Ukrainian organization subsequently purchased material for the Ukrainian armed forces. The sum of money that got her thrown into prison was said to be $52. The exchange marks the latest in a series of prisoner swaps between Washington and Moscow.
On August 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a similar deal. As part of a multi-nation swap, US citizens, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, were freed in exchange for Russian nationals held abroad. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune