Former ballerina Ksenia Karelina has been released in the recent U.S.-Russia prisoner swap.

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

Marco Rubio stated that the dual citizen was released on Thursday as a result of a prisoner exchange with Washington. In a post on X, Rubio noted 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 in the Ural Mountains and was convicted on charges stemming from a donation of approximately 47 euros (1,969 TL) to a charity aiding Ukraine. U.S. authorities described the case against Karelina as "absolutely ridiculous." According to reports, Karelina was swapped 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 reporters are working on further updates.