US citizen Ksenia Karelina freed in swap after yearlong Russian imprisonment

• U.S. and Russian officials conducted a prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi, releasing two dual nationals. The swap marked the second under President Donald Trump’s current term.
• Russian authorities arrested Ksenia Karelina in 2024 for donating to a U.S.-based group supporting Ukraine.
• The CIA and senior Russian intelligence leaders negotiated the swap, with help from the United Arab Emirates.

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The United States and Russia carried out a prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi early Thursday, April 10, according to The Wall Street Journal. The exchange resulted in the release of dual U.S.-Russian national Ksenia Karelina and German-Russian citizen Arthur Petrov.

It was the second such exchange since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.

Russian authorities arrested Ksenia Karelina, a American-Russian dual citizen, in January 2024 while she was visiting family in Yekaterinburg. They sentenced her to 12 years in a penal colony for treason. Officials accused her of donating about $50 to a U.S.-based charity that provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The U.S. government designated her as wrongfully detained in October.

In return, the United States released Arthur Petrov. Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 at the request of U.S. officials. He faced allegations of using a Cypriot company to acquire U.S.-made microelectronics. Petrov rerouted them to a supplier tied to Russia’s military sector. His extradition case remained pending prior to the exchange.

Who facilitated the exchange and where did it take place?

CIA Director John Ratcliffe and senior Russian intelligence officials led backchannel negotiations for the prisoner exchange, which took place at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi. U.S. officials said Ratcliffe was on-site for the handoff, which the United Arab Emirates helped facilitate.

Ratcliffe has maintained direct communication with the heads of Russia’s main intelligence services since his appointment, including Alexander Bortnikov of the FSB and Sergei Naryshkin of the SVR. Bortnikov previously participated in talks that secured the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

How does this fit into broader U.S.-Russia relations?

While diplomatic engagement between Washington and Moscow has declined since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, intelligence channels remained open. U.S. officials said these efforts aim to reduce risk and maintain dialogue amid ongoing tensions. The Trump administration promoted such exchanges as part of a broader campaign to repatriate Americans held abroad.

According to multiple sources familiar with the talks, Karelina is among several Americans and dual nationals whose cases U.S. officials continue to raise with Russian authorities. Her release follows that of American teacher Marc Fogel, who was freed in February in a separate exchange involving Russian national Alexander Vinnik.

Who else remains detained in Russia?

Several Americans remain imprisoned in Russia under a range of charges. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, sentenced to over three years for robbery and threats, recently had his term reduced. Others include musician Travis Leake, serving a 13-year sentence on drug charges, and 72-year-old Stephen Hubbard, convicted for his role in Ukraine’s territorial defense force.

In each case, the U.S. government designated the individuals as wrongfully detained and said it continues to pursue their release. According to officials, intelligence-led negotiations remain among the few active channels for achieving progress in such cases.