Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina was released from Kremlin custody in a prisoner swap with the United States Thursday morning, according to a new report.
Karelina was freed in exchange for German-Russian Arthur Petrov at a swap in Abu Dhabi, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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.”
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.
The secret talks between Russia and the US was 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.”
Ksenia’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 Ksenia’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.
