A US ballerina who was locked up under Vladimir Putin’s evil regime for 12 years has officially been released in a prisoner swap deal.
Ksenia Karelina has been in a Russian jail since last year after pleading guilty to donating just £40 to a pro-Ukraine charity.
Ksenia Karelina was imprisoned for over a decade last year[/caption]
Karelina during her hearing as she pleaded guilty[/caption]
Russia released footage of Karelina behind bars[/caption]
Karelina was handed over to the US as part of a prisoner exchange deal in Abu Dhabi.
Russia were handed Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen, in return.
He was arrested in 2023 for allegedly exporting sensitive microelectronics.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe and a senior Russian intelligence official arranged the deal, according to a CIA official.
After greeting Karelina in the Middle East, Ratcliffe released a statement where he praised both Donald Trump, the United Arab Emirates government and the CIA for securing the release of the ballerina.
He told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ): “Today, President Trump brought home another wrongfully detained American from Russia.
“I’m proud of the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort, and we appreciate the Government of UAE for enabling the exchange.”
The latest in a range of prisoner exchanges between the US and Russia in recent months comes as the two nations continue to grow closer to securing peace in Ukraine.
Despite the latest swap being a success a CIA spokesperson was clear that the US will continue to apply pressure on Moscow to release all US citizens imprisoned.
They announced: “The exchange shows the importance of keeping lines of communication open with Russia, despite the deep challenges in our bilateral relationship.
“While we are disappointed that other Americans remain wrongfully detained in Russia, we see this exchange as a positive step and will continue to work for their release.”
Why was Karelina jailed?
Russia accused Karelina of committing treason after she donated the £40 to a charity which had links to the Ukrainian military.
The Los Angeles resident pleaded guilty at her closed trial in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg last week.
Her case was heard by the same court that wrongfully convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich of espionage in July.
Ballerina and aesthetician Karelina was visiting family in Russia in January when she was snatched by the FSB and detained.
She was later seen in footage released by Russia handcuffed and with a beanie over her eyes as she awaited a hearing.
Last year, wrongly imprisoned WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich was finally freed after being held by the Russian government for 491 days.
Evan was wrongfully detained in March 2023 while working as a journalist in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused him of spying for the US and he was convicted during a sham trial last month.
He faced up to 16 years in a Russian prison.
But the journalist finally journeyed home with two other Americans unfairly held in Russia as part of a prisoner swap this month.
Russian-American editor for Radio Free Europe, Alsu Kurmasheva, 47, and former US Marine Paul Whelan, 54, accompanied Evan in his release from Russian custody.
American school teacher Marc Fogel was also released from a Russian prison after being jailed over trumped-up drug charges in February.
Fogel, 63, was arrested at an airport in 2021 for the illegal possession of a small amount of medical cannabis and slapped with a 14-year sentence.
Fogel was finally freed from captivity after a meeting with President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow today.
Karelina speaks to her lawyer in court[/caption]
