London – The dual citizen of the United States, Ksenia Karelina, was released from Russian prison in an exchange of night prisoners, announced Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday.
The exchange took place during the night in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, confirmed to ABC News that she had been released.
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed the exchange on a tweet, writing: “The American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back to the United States. She was unfairly stopped by Russia for more than a year and President Trump assured her liberation.”
Ksenia Karelina, the dual Russian-American citizen, accused of betrayal for making a donation to a charity organization that supports Ukraine, attends a judicial hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on August 15, 2024.
Dmitry Chasovitin/Reuters
Karelina, a ballet dancer, was complying with a 12-year prison sentence in a criminal colony, after being convicted of betrayal in August 2024. She was accused of organizing fundraising for funds for the military in Ukraine, attending Pro-Ukraine demonstrations and publishing social media messages against the Russian war in Ukraine.
Her boyfriend, Chris van Heerden, spoke with ABC News Live hours after his sentence, saying he did nothing wrong. He said that all she did was donate $ 50 to a Ukrainian beneficial organization.
This is a development story. Consult the updates again.
Joe Simonetti and Cindy Smith of ABC News contributed to this report.
