A Russian-American citizen, Ksenia Karelina, has been freed in a prisoner swap orchestrated between the United States and Russia, following over a year of imprisonment in Russia. The amateur ballerina, who resides in Los Angeles, was detained in Yekaterinburg in early 2024 and ultimately sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony after being charged with treason for donating to a US-based charity supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
In this recent exchange, the United States reportedly released Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen who was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 and accused of illegal microelectronics exports for Russian military use. The swap occurred in Abu Dhabi during the early morning hours of Thursday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Karelina was "on a plane back home to the United States," emphasizing her wrongful detention by Russian authorities for nearly a year.
Rubio stated, "President Trump played a crucial role in securing her release and is committed to advocating for the freedom of all Americans." CIA Director John Ratcliffe was also present at the exchange, underscoring the high-profile nature of this diplomatic negotiation. This marks the second significant prisoner swap between the US and Russia in a little over two months, following the exchange involving Russian national Alexander Vinnik and American teacher Marc Fogel in February.
