U.S.-Russia Prisoner Swap: Ksenia Karelina Freed in Exchange for Russian-German National
Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen jailed in Russia for donating under $100 to a U.S.-based charity supporting Ukraine, has been released and is heading home. Her release came as part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia, held in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Karelina had been convicted of treason and sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony.
In return, the U.S. released Arthur Petrov, a dual Russian-German national arrested in 2023 for allegedly helping export sensitive American microelectronics to Russian military suppliers. The U.S. Justice Department had accused him of being part of a scheme to procure components used in weapons and other military gear.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the exchange was negotiated in Abu Dhabi with involvement from CIA Director John Ratcliffe and senior Russian officials. "Today, President Trump brought home another wrongfully detained American from Russia," Ratcliffe said. He also thanked the UAE for facilitating the swap.
