Russia has freed a dual citizen who was imprisoned for supporting a charity aiding Ukraine in a trade with the United States involving a German-Russian citizen accused of supplying sensitive U.S. electronics to Russia’s military. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the release of Ksenia Karelina, convicted of treason for funding a U.S.-based charity assisting Ukraine, who is now on her way home.
Karelina was exchanged for Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen arrested in 2023 in Cyprus at the U.S.’s request for allegedly exporting sensitive microelectronics. The swap was negotiated by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and a senior Russian intelligence official in Abu Dhabi.
President Donald Trump facilitated the return of the wrongfully detained American, as stated by Ratcliffe, expressing gratitude to the UAE for facilitating the exchange. Karelina departed for the U.S. from Abu Dhabi, where she had been detained since her arrest in January 2024.
Petrov, accused of involvement in a scheme to acquire U.S.-sourced microelectronics for Russian military use, formed a tech-smuggling network to transfer sensitive technology to Russia’s military-industrial complex. This marks the third significant prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S. in less than a year, following previous releases of prisoners like Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich. Discussions between U.S. and Russian delegations are ongoing to address diplomatic issues and restore relations.
The focus of the talks is on embassy operations rather than broader bilateral normalization, with Ukraine not currently on the agenda according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
