Russian-American Ksenia Karelina Released in Prisoner Swap with Smuggler Arthur Petrov
- Apr 10, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 22, 2025
Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American woman who had been serving a 12-year sentence in Russia for treason, is finally free after being swapped in a prisoner exchange. She was traded for Arthur Petrov, a dual Russian-German citizen facing charges of smuggling and other crimes in the US.
CIA Oversees the Swap of Karelina for Petrov
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Karelina's release early on Thursday, saying she was on her way back to the United States. “American Ksenia 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 tweeted. He also emphasized that the president would “continue to work for the release of ALL Americans.”
The exchange took place in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe overseeing the swap. Karelina was exchanged for Arthur Petrov, who was facing serious charges in the US, including export control violations, smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering. Petrov was arrested in August 2023 in Cyprus at the request of the US and later extradited to the US in 2024. He was 33 years old at the time of his arrest.
Karelina’s Release Marks the Second Under Trump
Petrov was allegedly involved in smuggling US-made microelectronics to Russia, where they were used to produce weapons and military equipment. The US imposed strict export controls on certain parts after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, aiming to limit Russia's access to Western technology. The prisoner swap happened as US and Russian officials were meeting in Istanbul to discuss embassy operations.
Karelina, a Los Angeles resident and amateur ballerina, became a US citizen in 2021. She had traveled to Russia in January 2024 to visit family, including her 90-year-old grandmother. Karelina was arrested shortly after arriving, and the US government wasn’t aware of her detainment until February 2024. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison after making a donation of just over $50 to a US-based charity supporting Ukraine. Her trial took place in the same court in Yekaterinburg where Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was convicted of espionage last year.
Karelina’s release marks the second such incident under President Trump’s administration, following the release of Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia for over three years. Fogel was swapped for Russian money launderer Alexander Vinnik in February.
The US is still tracking several Americans held in Russia, including Stephen Hubbard, who was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
