Woman jailed over $51 donation to Ukraine freed in US-Russia prisoner swap

Russian-American Ksenia Karelina was released by Moscow in return for the freeing of Russian-German Arthur Petrov.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWoman jailed over $51 donation to Ukraine freed in US-Russia prisoner swap17 hours agoShareSaveLaura GozziBBC NewsShareSaveWatch: Ballerina jailed in Russia reunites with family in USA Russian-American citizen has been released in a prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington.

Amateur ballerina Ksenia Karelina, a Los Angeles resident, had been in prison in Russia for over a year, after being arrested in early 2024 during a family visit in the city of Yekaterinburg.

She was accused by Russia's FSB security service of raising money for a Ukrainian organisation providing arms to the Ukrainian military. She pleaded guilty last August and was sentenced to 12 years in jail.

Russian human rights activists said while living in the US she had made a single transfer of $51 (£39) on the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 22 February 2022.

The charity in question denied raising money for weapons or ammunition, saying it was focused on humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l005w2j86o

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