Russia confirms prisoner exchange with US

The FSB said in a statement that the exchange took place at an airport in the United Arab Emirates, expressing gratitude to the UAE for its humanitarian mediation.

"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," it said.

This April, Karelina was pardoned by presidential decree, the statement read.

The swap was announced earlier in the day by US Central Intelligence Agency Director John Radcliffe and confirmed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Petrov was detained in 2023 in Greek Cyprus at the request of American law enforcement agencies and extradited to the US in 2024, where he faced accusations of violating the Export Control Act. He was facing up to 20 years in prison.

Karelina, a Los Angeles resident who holds dual Russian and US citizenship, was detained in 2024 in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.

Since February 2022, she had been actively fundraising in support of a Ukrainian organization, with the funds later used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, destructive weapons, and ammunition for Ukraine, according to Russia.

In 2024, a Russian court found Karelina guilty of treason and sentenced her to 12 years in a penal colony.