Ksenia Karelina, a 33-year-old ballet dancer and U.S.-Russian dual citizen, arrived in the United States late Thursday after her release from a Russian prison in a high-level overnight prisoner exchange.
She touched down at Joint Base Andrews at 11:03 p.m., where she shared an emotional embrace with her fiancé, Chris van Heerden.
Karelina had been sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony in August 2024 after a conviction for treason. Russian authorities accused her of organizing fundraisers for Ukraine’s military, participating in pro-Ukraine demonstrations, and posting anti-war messages on social media. The U.S. government maintained that she was wrongfully detained.
Her fiancé previously told ABC News Live that she was innocent, stating her only act was donating $50 to a Ukrainian charity.
Karelina’s release came in exchange for Artur Petrov, a German-Russian citizen charged with smuggling U.S. microelectronics to aid the Russian military. Detained in Cyprus in 2023 and later extradited to the U.S., Petrov faced accusations of helping supply Russia’s military-industrial network with U.S.-sourced components. These microelectronics matched those found in Russian weaponry on Ukrainian battlefields, according to a Justice Department notice.
The exchange took place overnight in Abu Dhabi, with the United Arab Emirates mediating the transfer. Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, confirmed her release, and her return home was also marked by a photo shared by Adam Boehler, the U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Response.
“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,”
— Secretary of State Marco Rubio via tweet
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) stated that President Vladimir Putin had pardoned Karelina by official decree. The agency also confirmed that the exchange was completed at Abu Dhabi Airport.
A U.S. official told ABC News that American and Russian intelligence agencies led the negotiations that secured Karelina’s freedom.
