Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than a year, is on her way back to the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed early 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. @POTUS will continue to work for the release of ALL Americans,” Rubio wrote on X.
Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian prison after donating about $50 to a Ukrainian charity in early 2024.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Karelina was released in exchange for the release of Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen who was arrested in 2023 in Cyprus at the request of the U.S. on charges of exporting sensitive microelectronics.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
