Moscow has released Ksenia Karelina, a US-Russian dual national detained in Russia for over a year, in a prisoner exchange that took place in Abu Dhabi, according to US officials.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on X that Karelina is en route back to the United States, crediting President Donald Trump for securing her release. “She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year, and President Trump secured her release,” Rubio posted, adding that Trump will “continue to work for the release of ALL Americans”.
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. @POTUS will continue to work for the release of ALL Americans.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 10, 2025
Who is Ksenia Karelina?
Ksenia Karelina, a Beverly Hills beautician and former ballerina who lives in Los Angeles, has been released from a Russian penal colony in a US-Russia prisoner swap brokered in Abu Dhabi.
Karelina was arrested in early 2024 in Yekaterinburg while visiting family, according to her boyfriend. A Russian court later convicted her of high treason, accusing her of funding the Ukrainian military. Friends and family say the charge stemmed from a $51.80 (€47) donation she made to a US-based nonprofit providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainian civilians affected by the war.
FILE – Ksenia Karelina, also known as Khavana sits in a glass cage in a court room in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Thursday, June 20, 2024. (AP Photo, File)
She was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony.
In exchange, the US reportedly freed Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen accused of exporting sensitive microelectronics to Russia. Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 at Washington’s request.
The swap was reportedly arranged by CIA director John Ratcliffe and a senior Russian intelligence official. Ratcliffe praised the CIA team’s efforts and thanked the UAE for facilitating the exchange.
This is the latest in a series of high-profile prisoner swaps conducted in Abu Dhabi, including the 2022 exchange of basketball star Brittney Griner for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
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