Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina was released from Kremlin custody in a prisoner swap with the United States Thursday morning.
Karelina was freed in exchange for German-Russian Arthur Petrov at a swap in Abu Dhabi, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
“She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year and President Trump secured her release. @POTUS will continue to work for the release of ALL Americans,” he added.
The dual-citizen spa worker was accused of treason against the Russian government when she donated $51 to a charity that allegedly supported Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 — the day Russian forces launched its attack on its western neighbor.
She allegedly “transferred funds in the interests of a Ukrainian organization, which were subsequently used for the purchase of tactical medicine items, equipment, means of defeat and ammunition by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
Ksenia was arrested by Russian officials in January 2024 while on a month-long vacation visiting family in Yekaterinburg, a Russian city 1,100 miles east of Moscow.
She was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony for the crimes in August.
Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 for illegally exporting microelectronics with US military applications to Russia, the Justice Department alleged.
“After Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, we allege Petrov participated in a global scheme to use shell companies from around the world to establish a clandestine procurement network and supply Russia’s military industrial complex with critical US technology, including types of microelectronics recovered in Russian military equipment on the battlefield in Ukraine,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said.
The secret talks between Russia and the US were spearheaded by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and a senior Russian intelligence official, the Wall Street Journal reported citing a CIA source.
“Today, President Trump brought home another wrongfully detained American from Russia,” Ratcliffe told the outlet. “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 intelligence agency said the swap was a show of open communication with Russia but had hoped to get more Americans released along with Karelina.
“While we are disappointed that other Americans remain wrongfully detained in Russia, we see this exchange as a positive step and will continue to work for their release,” a CIA spokesperson told the outlet.
In February, Karelina’s boyfriend, Chris Van Heerdan revealed to The Post that he was set to propose to his girlfriend before she was arrested.
“I was going to pop the question,” an emotional Van Heerdan, 37, told The Post. “But my plans were derailed.”
Van Heerdan defended Karelina’s donation as her actions were done on American soil.
“The thing is, she didn’t do this in Russia as a Russian citizen. She did this in America, as an American citizen,” he said.
Before Thursday’s release, Van Heerdan was optimistic Karelina would be released after President Donald Trump returned to office.
“I am very optimistic and positive about the new administration under President Trump, and I believe he can get it done soon,” he said.
“My message is simple: Ksenia is proud to be an American citizen and loves America very much. I beg President Trump to bring Ksenia home; she is not doing well, and each day in prison is a day longer in recovering from this nightmare. Please bring Ksenia home.”
Trump’s administration had already negotiated a previous exchange back in February that freed American teacher Marc Fogel from Russian custody.
Fogel was arrested for having what he claimed to be legally prescribed marijuana while at an airport outside of Moscow in August 2021.
He had been living in the Russian capital for a decade before his arrest.
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