Former ballerina Ksenia Karelina has been released in the recent US-Russia prisoner exchange.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that a U.S.-Russian dual citizen, imprisoned in Russia for treason, has been released through a prisoner exchange and is now returning to the U.S.

Rubio stated that the dual citizen, who was imprisoned in Russia for treason, was released on Thursday as a result of a prisoner exchange with Washington. In a post on X, Rubio mentioned that Ksenia Karelina, also known in the media as Ksenia Khavana, is "returning to the U.S. by plane." Karelina was arrested in February 2024 in Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural Mountains, and was convicted on charges stemming from a roughly 47 euro (1,969 TL) donation to a charity aiding Ukraine. U.S. authorities described the case against Karelina as "absolutely ridiculous." According to reports, Karelina was exchanged for German-Russian citizen Arthur Petrov, who was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 on allegations related to microchip exports. Karelina, a former ballerina, reportedly married an American and moved to Los Angeles, subsequently obtaining U.S. citizenship. She was arrested when she returned to Russia last year to visit her family. This is an evolving story, and our journalists are working on further updates.