The US citizen Xenia Karelina convicted in Russia was released by a prisoner exchange. In return, a man was released from US custody who is said to have exported microelectronics to Russia.
The Ballerina Xenia Karelina, which is detained in Russia, has been released and on the way to the USA. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this on the online platform X. She was wrongly held in Russia for more than a year, and US President Donald Trump had obtained her release.
In return, Artur Petrow is said to have regained freedom. The exchange was carried out at Abu Dhabi's international airport, Moscow Thanks to the United Arab Emirates for the broker role, the Russian domestic secret service FSB said.
Karelina was sentenced to a twelve -year prison sentence in August of last year. Born in Los Angeles, she visited her family in Jekaterinburg in February 2024. The Russian domestic secret service FSB is said to have searched your mobile phone on the occasion. It was found that Karelina donated around $ 50 to a aid organization based in New York who provides humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Karelina was then set. Russia claims that the organization collects funds for the Ukrainian army.
Russian is said to have acted with US electronics
According to the Wall Street Journal, Petrow also has German citizenship in addition to Russian. The United States had it arrested in Cyprus in 2023 because it is said to have exported US microelectronics-compatible US microelectronics to Russia. The US Justice Ministry assumes that it was a sophisticated smuggling ring.
According to the newspaper, CIA director John Ratcliffe personally negotiated the exchange with a high-ranking Russian secret service representative in Abu Dhabi. There were also discussions with FSB boss Alexander Bortnikow and the head of the Russian foreign intelligence agency SVR, Sergei Naryschkin.
Jürgen Buch, ARD Moscow, Tagesschau, April 10, 2025 3:25 p.m.
