Xenia Karelina
Ballerina released between Russia and the USA
In the United States, Xenia Karelina is said to have collected money for Ukraine. During a visits to Russia, they therefore arrested the authorities. Now she is free.
The United States and Russia have set up two imprisoned people in a new prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi. According to US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, Moscow released the US-Russian ballerina Xenia Karelina, which was imprisoned in Russia. She was on the way to the USA, Rubio said on Thursday.
The “Wall Street Journal” had previously reported that Russia had reached the release of the German-Russian Arthur Petrov arrested in 2023 in a prisoner exchange. He is accused of illegally exporting electronic components for military purposes to Russia. In addition to Russian, Petrow also has a German passport.
Ballerina Xena Karelina by Wladimir Putin pardoned
The exchange took place at Abu Dhabi’s international airport, Moscow thanks to the United Arab Emirates for the intermediary role, the Russian domestic secret service FSB later said.
After his delivery to the United States in 2024, Petrov threatened 20 years in prison for violations of export laws, the FSB said. Karelina, on the other hand, was pardoned this month shortly before her release by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.
Karelina was “wrongly held by Russia for over a year” that US President Donald Trump had obtained her release, wrote Rubio in online service X.
American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the united states.
She was wrong. @Potus Will Continue to Work for the Release of All Americans.
– Secretary Marco Rubio (@secrubio) April 10, 2025
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Due to their data protection settings, this content was not invited to protect their privacy.
Judgment about alleged “high treason”
Karelina, who lived and worked in Los Angeles, was arrested in Jekaterinburg during a family visit last year. She was sentenced to twelve years in prison for “treason”.
The verdict was made because Xenia Karelina, who lives in the US metropolis Los Angeles Los Angeles, is said to have collected money for a Ukrainian aid organization and thus worked against the safety of Russia. Accordingly, Karelina is said to have raised donations for an organization, which then purchased material for the Ukrainian armed forces. It is said to have been the sum of $ 52 (around 47 euros).
Gershkovich and Co.: These are the best known freely
Evan Gershkovich-reporter at the US newspaper “Wall Street Journal”
The young reporter of the renowned “Wall Street Journal” did not return from a research trip to the Russian Jekaterinburg in March 2023.
The Kremlin accused the 32-year-old of having spied on the US foreign intelligence agency CIA. It was supposed to be about secret information about the tank manufacturer Uralwagonsawod. However, the Russian authorities stuck with evidence – they are a matter of the closure. Washington accused Moscow of abusing the journalist as a political pawn.
In a process that was suddenly surprisingly fast, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison in July – already a sign of the upcoming exchange?
© Dmitri Lovetsky / AP / dpa
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The exchange shows how important it is despite the major challenges in bilateral relationships to keep communication channels open with Russia, the “Wall Street Journal” quoted a CIA spokeswoman.
“While we are disappointed that other Americans are incorrectly imprisoned in Russia, we see this asa as a positive step and continue to work on their release,” she said.
Not the first prisoner exchange between Russia and the USA
Russia and the United States had repeatedly exchanged prisoners in the past. Kremlin chief Putin recently had imprisoned Russian criminals in the United States on August 1st by an exchange against Americans.
Among the US citizens released by Russia was the journalist Evan Gershkovich, convicted of espionage. In the course of the prisoner exchange, in which seven states, including Germany, were involved, the so -called zoo killer, condemned in Berlin, was released.
AFP · dpa
RW
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
