Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina, who was imprisoned in Russia for donating $51 to a US-based Ukrainian aid charity, is on her way to the United States as part of a prisoner swap for Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen who allegedly exported sensitive microelectronics.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Karelina's release in a social media post on April 10. Russia's security service, the FSB, confirmed that Petrov was the Russian citizen being held in a US jail who was released in the exchange.
The swap marks the second such exchange between Washington and Moscow since US President Donald Trump took office in January.
A 33-year-old former ballet dancer, Karelina moved to the United States in 2015, married a US citizen, and received US citizenship in 2021.
SEE ALSO: 'They Remain In Torturous Conditions': The Prisoners Left Behind In Russia After Historic ExchangeKarelina's lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, confirmed his client's release, saying the exchange occurred in Abu Dhabi.
"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," Rubio said in his post.
Karelina was found guilty last year of treason by a Russian court in Yekaterinburg for transferring money to Razom For Ukraine, a US nonprofit that provides medical and humanitarian aid, in early 2022.
Dora Chomiak, the CEO of Razom For Ukraine, said in a statement that the group was "overjoyed" about Karelina's release, but sharply criticized Russia for her detention,
"The case against Ksenia Karelina was a farce from the moment of her detention," said Chomiak. "Peacefully demonstrating solidarity with the people of Ukraine is not a crime. Vladimir Putin imprisoned her for protesting against Russia's invasion and allegedly donating to help alleviate the suffering of Ukrainians."
"She was unconscionably jailed for over a year for exercising the same freedoms that every American citizen holds, and that all Ukrainians are fighting to keep," the statement added.
Arthur Petrov following his release on April 10
Petrov, 34, was arrested in 2023 in Cyprus at the request of the United States.
The US Justice Department alleged Petrov had participated "in a scheme to procure US-sourced microelectronics for manufacturers supplying weaponry and other equipment to the Russian military."
The Wall Street Journal quoted an unidentified CIA official as saying CIA Director John Ratcliffe conducted the talks to clinch the swap, which was mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
Abu Dhabi was the site of another prisoner swap between Russia and the United States. In December 2022, US basketball star Brittney Griner was swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
SEE ALSO: Griner Says She Contemplated Suicide During Russian Prison OrdealThe United Arab Emirates has also been a mediator in prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia and the United States conducted the prisoner swap as delegations from the two countries arrived in Istanbul for talks on normalizing the work of their diplomatic missions.
In February, the United States released a confessed Russian cybercriminal, Aleksandr Vinnik, in return for the American teacher Marc Fogel.