Ksenia Karelina Released In US - Russia Prisoner Swap

Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American national who had been serving a 12-year sentence for treason in Russia, has been released as part of a diplomatic prisoner exchange. In return, the United States transferred Arthur Petrov, a dual Russian-German citizen facing federal charges in the U.S., including export control violations, smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering.

"American citizen Ksenia Karelina is now en route back to the United States after being unjustly detained in Russia for over a year. President Trump successfully negotiated her release," said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement shared on X.

The exchange was facilitated on Thursday in Abu Dhabi and coordinated by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.