LONDON — U.S.-Russian twin citizen Ksenia Karelina was launched from Russian jail in an in a single day prisoner trade, Secretary of State Marco Rubio introduced on Thursday.
The trade happened in a single day in Abu Dhabi within the United Arab Emirates. Karelina’s lawyer Mikhail Mushailov confirmed to ABC Information that she had been launched.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the trade in a tweet, writing, “American Ksenia Karelina is on a aircraft again residence to the US. She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a 12 months and President Trump secured her launch.”
A U.S. official instructed ABC Information that American and Russian intelligence businesses took the lead in negotiating the prisoner swap.
U.S.-Russian twin citizen Ksenia Karelina who was launched from Russian jail in an in a single day prisoner trade is seen on her method residence in a photograph posted by Particular Envoy for Hostage Response, Adam Boehler, Apr. 10, 2025.
@aboehler/X
CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated in a press release, “At present, President Trump introduced residence one other wrongfully detained American from Russia. I am happy with the CIA officers who labored tirelessly to help this effort and we respect the federal government of UAE for enabling the trade.”
A CIA spokesperson instructed ABC Information that “a lot of the swap was negotiated by the U.S. authorities, with CIA enjoying a key function participating with Russian intelligence.”
“By these engagements, CIA negotiated with Russia and labored carefully with home and international companions, together with the UAE, to hold out the trade,” the spokesperson stated. “We additionally collaborated carefully with counterparts at businesses throughout the [U.S. government] to facilitate this trade.”
Russia’s Federal Safety Service additionally confirmed Karelina’s launch, saying she had been pardoned through a decree from President Vladimir Putin. The FSB stated the trade was made at Abu Dhabi airport with the mediation of the UAE.
German-Russian citizen Artur Petrov — who was detained in Cyprus in 2023 on the request of the U.S. and later extradited — was exchanged for Karelina, the service stated.
A Justice Division discover of his arrest stated Petrov was accused of involvement in a scheme to acquire U.S.-sourced microelectronics topic to export controls on behalf of a Russia-based provider. The elements had been supposed for producers supplying weaponry and different gear to the Russian navy, the discover stated.
Russian-American twin citizen Ksenia Karelina, accused of treason for making a donation to a charity supporting Ukraine, attends a courtroom listening to in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on Aug. 15, 2024.
Dmitry Chasovitin/Reuters
A 2024 assertion associated to Petrov’s extradition to the U.S. stated he was a part of a community that secretly equipped Russia’s navy industrial complicated with “vital U.S. know-how, together with the identical varieties of microelectronics recovered from Russian weapons on Ukrainian battlefields.”
Karelina — a ballet dancer — was serving a 12-year jail sentence in a penal colony, having been convicted of treason in August 2024. She was accused of organizing fundraisers for Ukraine’s navy, attending pro-Ukraine rallies and posting social media messages in opposition to Russia’s struggle in Ukraine.
Her boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, spoke to ABC Information Stay hours after her sentencing, saying she did nothing incorrect. He stated all she did was donate $50 to a Ukrainian charity.
It is a growing story. Please verify again for updates.
ABC Information’ Joe Simonetti, Cindy Smith, Tanya Stukalova and Shannon Ok. Kingston contributed to this report.
