A US-Russian dual citizen who had been jailed in Russia on charges of treason has been released as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States. The woman, Ksenia Karelina—also reported in media as Ksenia Khavana—is now en route to the United States, her lawyer and US officials have confirmed.
Karelina was detained in February 2024 while visiting her family in Yekaterinburg, a city in the Ural Mountains. She was later convicted of treason, a charge that stemmed from her donation of approximately 52 US dollars (£40) to a charity supporting Ukraine.
According to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), she had “proactively collected money in the interests of one of the Ukrainian organisations, which was subsequently used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, weapons, and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces”.
A Russian rights group, the First Department, stated that the donation was specifically made to a US-based charity aiding Ukraine, amounting to 51.80 dollars.
The US government criticised the charges, describing the case as “absolutely ludicrous”. Karelina, a former ballet dancer, had become a US citizen after marrying an American and settling in Los Angeles.
Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, announced on Instagram that she was flying to the US from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where the prisoner exchange took place.
Her release was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who was reportedly present during the handover at the Abu Dhabi airport.
“Today, President Trump brought home another wrongfully detained American from Russia,” said Mr Ratcliffe. “I’m proud of the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort, and we appreciate the government of UAE for enabling the exchange.”
The CIA has yet to provide an official statement, and there has been no immediate confirmation from either the US or Russian authorities regarding the details of the exchange.
Just in: UAE successfully mediated U.S.- Russia prisoner swap. Both sides had 1 prisoner each.
Very happy to see Ksenia Karelina, American ballerina, is with the UAE Ambassador to DC Yousif Al Otaiba on her way to the States.
via @AfraMalHameli pic.twitter.com/H1HEjdxHLE
— حسن سجواني Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) April 10, 2025
Who Was Freed in Return?
In return, the US is reported to have released Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian national. He had been arrested in Cyprus in 2023 at the request of the US and was extradited in August 2024. Petrov faced multiple charges, including export control violations, smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering.
US officials alleged that he was involved in a scheme to procure microelectronics subject to US export controls, which were then supplied to Russian manufacturers producing military-grade equipment.
Abu Dhabi has increasingly played a role as a neutral mediator in high-profile prisoner swaps between Moscow and Washington. In December 2022, it was the venue for the widely publicised exchange of American basketball player Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The UAE, particularly Dubai, has also become a hub for Russians and Ukrainians who left their countries following the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
