Russia and the U.S. Swap Prisoners: Ksenia Karelina Released

On April 10, a prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States took place in Abu Dhabi (UAE). Russia released Ksenia Karelina, a U.S. citizen sentenced to 12 years for treason. In return, the U.S. freed Arthur Petrov, who was accused of illegally exporting microelectronics, BBC reported.

Karelina, who lived in Los Angeles, was detained in January 2024 in Yekaterinburg while visiting her relatives. She was accused of treason for donating $51.8 (approximately 650,000 Uzbek soums) to a US-based Ukrainian humanitarian fund.

Arthur Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in August 2023 and later extradited to the U.S. He faced charges related to the illegal export of military-grade microelectronics.