Russia and U.S. Swap Prisoners: Dual National Jailed for Ukraine Donation Released
Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, who had been detained in Russia on accusations of treason, was released on Thursday in a prisoner swap with the United States, according to her lawyer and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio announced on X that Karelina, also known as Ksenia Khavana in some reports, is “on a plane back home to the United States.” She was taken into custody in Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural Mountains, in February 2024. Her treason conviction later that year stemmed from a donation of approximately $52 to a charity supporting Ukraine.
U.S. officials have strongly criticized the case against her as “absolutely ludicrous.” Karelina’s arrest was part of a trend of increasing detentions of Americans in Russia amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington over the conflict in Ukraine. Her release marks the most recent in a series of significant prisoner exchanges between Russia and the United States over the past three years.
Reports indicate that Karelina, a former ballet dancer, gained U.S. citizenship after marrying an American and relocating to Los Angeles. She was arrested during a visit to her family in Russia last year.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) alleged that she had “proactively” collected funds for a Ukrainian organization providing equipment to Kyiv’s forces. According to the Russian rights group, The First Department, the charges were related to a $51.80 donation to a U.S. charity aiding Ukraine.
Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, stated on Instagram that she was en route to the U.S. from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where the exchange occurred. The Wall Street Journal initially reported the exchange, citing a statement from CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who was reportedly present at an airport in Abu Dhabi for the exchange.
Ratcliffe stated, “Today, President Trump brought home another wrongfully detained American from Russia. I’m proud of the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort, and we appreciate the Government of U.A.E. for enabling the exchange.”
As of early Thursday, the CIA had not provided an immediate comment.
The WSJ reported that the U.S. released Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen, in exchange. Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 at the request of the U.S., accused of exporting sensitive microelectronics to Russia. Neither Russian nor U.S. authorities have immediately confirmed this information.
Petrov was extradited to the U.S. in August 2024 and faced charges including export control violations, smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering. He was accused of participating in a scheme to obtain U.S.-sourced microelectronics, subject to U.S. export controls, for a Russia-based supplier of critical electronic components used by manufacturers providing weaponry and equipment to the Russian military.
Abu Dhabi was previously the location of another prominent prisoner swap between Russia and the United States. In December 2022, American basketball player Brittney Griner was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The UAE has played a mediating role in prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine, while Dubai has become a popular destination for Russians and Ukrainians who fled after the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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