Woman put in jail for a charity gift that released in the US-Russia

A Russian-American citizen was released to replace the prisoner between Moscow and Washington.

Amateur Ballerina Ksenia Karelin, a resident of Los -Angeles, was in prison in Russia for more than a year, after the arrest in Yekaterinburg in early 2024.

She was found guilty of betraying money for a charity in the US, which provided humanitarian support to Ukraine and was sentenced to 12 years in the colony.

In return, the United States was released by Arthur Petrov, a double citizen of German Russia, arrested in Cyprus in 2023. He was charged with illegal exports of microelectronics to Russia for manufacturers working with Russian military.

The replacement of the prisoner took place in Abu -Dabi in the first hours Thursday.

US Secretary of State Mark Rubio confirmed that Ms. Karelin “was on the plane who returned home to the United States.”

He added that her “Russia was wrong for more than a year.”

“President Trump has provided release. (President) will continue to work for the release of all Americans.”

CIA Director John Ratcliffe attended the exchange, said The Wall Street Journal.

This is the second place of the prisoner between Russia and the US in less than two months.

In February, Russian national Alexander Vinik, who was imprisoned in the United States for making money laundering – was released in exchange for release American school teacher Mark Fogel.