Russian-American woman sentenced to 12 years in Russia for treason on her way to the US, Rubio says
Russian-American woman Ksenia Karelina, who was serving a 12-year prison sentence for treason in Russia, has been released and is on her way to the United States, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X on Thursday.
“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 said on X.
He added the president would “continue to work for the release of ALL Americans.”
It was not immediately clear whether Karelina’s release was part of a prisoner exchange.
Karelina, then 33, was sentenced in August. She was convicted of treason after she made a donation of just over $50 to a US-based charity supporting Ukraine.
Karelina is a Los Angeles resident and amateur ballerina who became a US citizen in 2021. She entered Russia in January 2024 but the US did not learn of her arrest until February 8, 2024.