Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Thursday that Russian-American Ksenia Karelina is on her way back to the United States after being wrongfully detained for more than a year in Russia.
"American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States. 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," Rubio wrote on X.
American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 10, 2025
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.
Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian penal colony after pleading guilty to treason for donating $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity in early 2024.
She was initially detained for "petty hooliganism" while visiting family in Russia in February 2024, but the charge was later upgraded to treason after accusations that she was acting as an American spy.
Russian authorities claimed that Karelina, who lived in Los Angeles, raised money for the Ukrainian army and took part in "public actions" that supported Ukraine while in the U.S. (Fox News)
Karelina was released in a prisoner exchange for Russian-German Arthur Petrov, who was jailed in the U.S. on smuggling charges.
The prisoner swap, which was negotiated by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Russian intelligence officials, took place Thursday in Abu Dhabi.
“Today, President Trump brought home another wrongfully detained American from Russia,” Ratcliffe told The Wall Street Journal in a statement. “I’m proud of the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort, and we appreciate the Government of U.A.E. for enabling the exchange.”
