London – The dual citizen of the United States, Ksenia Karelina, was released from Russian prison in an exchange of night prisoners, announced Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday.
The exchange took place during the night in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, confirmed to ABC News that she had been released.
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed the exchange on a tweet, writing: “The American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back to the United States. She was unfairly stopped by Russia for more than a year and President Trump assured her liberation.”
An American official told ABC News that American and Russian intelligence agencies took the lead by negotiating the exchange of prisoners.
Ksenia Karelina, the dual Russian-American citizen, accused of betrayal for making a donation to a charity organization that supports Ukraine, attends a judicial hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on August 15, 2024.
Dmitry Chasovitin/Reuters
The director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, said in a statement: “Today, President Trump brought home another American detained unjustly from Russia. I am proud of the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort and appreciate the EAU government for enabling the exchange.”
A CIA spokesman told ABC News that “much of the exchange was negotiated by the United States government, and the CIA played a key role to get involved with Russian intelligence.”
“Through these commitments, the CIA negotiated with Russia and worked closely with national and foreign partners, including the EAU, to carry out the exchange,” said the spokesman. “We also collaborate closely with counterparts in agencies of everything [U.S. government] To facilitate this exchange. “
The Russian Federal Security Service also confirmed the launch of Karelina, saying that it had been forgiven through a decree of President Vladimir Putin. The FSB said the exchange was carried out at Abu Dhabi airport with the mediation of the EAU.
The German citizen-Ruso Artur Petrov, who was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 at the request of the United States and then extradited, was exchanged by Karelina, said the service.
A warning of the Department of Justice of his arrest said that Petrov was accused of participation in a scheme to acquire microelectronics of American origin subject to export controls on behalf of a supplier based in Russia. The components were intended for manufacturers that provide armament and other teams to the Russian army, according to the notice.
A declaration of 2024 related to the extradition of Petrov to the US.
Karelina, a ballet dancer, was complying with a 12-year prison sentence in a criminal colony, after being convicted of betrayal in August 2024. She was accused of organizing fundraising for funds for the military in Ukraine, attending Pro-Ukraine demonstrations and publishing social media messages against the Russian war in Ukraine.
Her boyfriend, Chris van Heerden, spoke with ABC News Live hours after his sentence, saying he did nothing wrong. He said that all she did was donate $ 50 to a Ukrainian beneficial organization.
This is a development story. Consult the updates again.
Joe Simonetti of ABC News, Cindy Smith, Tanya Stukalova and Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report.
