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2w ago

Ksenia Karelina Released in U.S.-Russia Prisoner Swap

The dual U.S.-Russian citizen, jailed for treason over a $51 donation to a Ukrainian charity, is en route to the U.S. after a swap in Abu Dhabi.

Russian-American dual citizen Ksenia Karelina attends a court hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on August 15, 2024.
Image
FILE - Ksenia Karelina, also known as Khavana sits in a glass cage in a court room in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024.(AP Photo/File)

Overview

  • Ksenia Karelina, a U.S.-Russian dual citizen, was released from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States on April 10, 2025.
  • Karelina had been sentenced to 12 years in August 2024 for treason after donating $51 to a Ukrainian charity on the first day of Russia's invasion in 2022.
  • The exchange took place in Abu Dhabi, with the U.S. releasing Arthur Petrov, a German-Russian national accused of exporting sensitive microelectronics to Russia.
  • U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, condemned Karelina's detention as politically motivated and praised President Trump for securing her release.
  • Karelina, who had moved to Los Angeles and gained U.S. citizenship in 2021, was arrested in January 2024 while visiting family in Russia.