On Tuesday, Russia’s principal security agency announced the arrest of a woman with dual Russian and American citizenship. She was charged with state treason for her role in fundraising for Ukraine. The Federal Security Service (FSB) identified the arrested individual as a 33-year-old resident of Los Angeles. The agency stated that she had been collecting funds for a Ukrainian group that procured arms and other military equipment for Ukraine’s armed forces.
❗🇷🇺⚔️🇺🇸🇺🇦 Russian authorities detained a citizen with dual nationality of Russia and the United States and residing in Los Angeles, Ksenia Karelina, on suspicion of treason.
According to the Russian government, Karelina was dedicated to collecting funds for an unidentified… pic.twitter.com/0Zn5jNJfDs
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) February 20, 2024
Perviy Otdel, a collective of Russian attorneys known for handling cases related to treason and other politically sensitive charges, stated that the woman was accused of treason for transferring slightly more than $50 to Razom for Ukraine. This organization, based in New York, provides aid to Ukraine. The woman was identified as Ksenia Karelina by the Russian news platform, Media Zona. Otdel referred to her as Ksenia (Karelina) Khavana, suggesting that Karelina could be her birth name.
Another American is locked up behind bars in Russia. Ksenia Karelina, a Los Angeles based ballerina, was arrested for treason after donating $51.83 to support Ukraine and is now facing up to two decades in prison. This isn't about anything else but a middle finger to the United… pic.twitter.com/02XV91Kvwl
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) February 21, 2024
The Federal Security Service (FSB) reported that the woman was apprehended in Yekaterinburg, a city in central Russia. A video was released by RIA Novosti, a state-run Russian news agency, purportedly showing the woman. In the video, she is seen donning a white hat that obscures her eyes, being handcuffed, and led away by security officers wearing masks.
Should she be found guilty, she may be subjected to a prison term of up to 20 years.
The recent apprehension of U.S. nationals in Russia has sparked speculation that the Kremlin may perceive them as significant bargaining chips, potentially to be exchanged for notable Russians detained in the U.S.
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