FSB announces US-Russia prisoner exchange in UAE
(MENAFN) The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday that a prisoner exchange with the United States has been successfully completed, involving one American citizen and one Russian national.
In a statement, the FSB revealed that the swap occurred at an airport in the United Arab Emirates, thanking the UAE for its role in facilitating the humanitarian effort.
"On April 10, Russian citizen Artur Petrov was returned to his homeland at Abu Dhabi International Airport through the mediation of the UAE. Petrov was exchanged for US citizen Ksenia Karelina," the statement noted.
The announcement also mentioned that Karelina had been pardoned earlier this April by a presidential decree.
The swap was initially disclosed by US Central Intelligence Agency Director John Radcliffe and later confirmed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Petrov was arrested in 2023 in Greek Cyprus at the request of American authorities and was extradited to the US in 2024, where he faced charges related to the Export Control Act, with a potential sentence of up to 20 years.
Karelina, a dual citizen of Russia and the US residing in Los Angeles, was detained in 2024 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. According to Russian sources, she had been actively raising funds since February 2022 for a Ukrainian organization, which were reportedly used to acquire tactical medical supplies, equipment, and weaponry for Ukraine.
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