London – The dual citizen of the United States, Ksenia Karelina, was released from Russian prison in an exchange of night prisoners, announced Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday.
Karelina, a ballet dancer, was serving a 12 -year prison sentence in a criminal colony. The exchange took place during the night in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, confirmed to ABC News that she had been released.
Ksenia Karelina, the dual Russian-American citizen, accused of betrayal for making a donation to a charity organization that supports Ukraine, attends a judicial hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on August 15, 2024.
Dmitry Chasovitin/Reuters
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed the exchange on a tweet, writing: “The American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back to the United States. She was unfairly stopped by Russia for more than a year and President Trump assured her liberation.”
This is a development story. Consult the updates again.
Joe Simonetti and Cindy Smith of ABC News contributed to this report.
