Between the US and Russia occurred an exchange of prisoners: who was released

To spread: from Russian prison released a citizen of the Russian Federation and the United States Xenia Karelina, which was accused of the state community. She was exchanged for Arthur Petrov, who was accused of buying microelectronics for Russian weapons. About it reports The Wall Street Journal. It is known that Ksenia Karelin was sent from the Russian Federation to Abu Dhabi, where she was met by CIA Director John Retcliffe.

The 34-year-old Ksenia Karelin was sentenced to 12 years in Russian prison for sacrificing $ 51 and 80 cents of a charity that helps Ukrainians-Razom for Ukraine. Karelin was born and grew up in Yekaterinburg, graduated from a choreographic lyceum, wanted to become a ballerina. In 2012, she left the United States, in 2021-acquired American citizenship. On January 2, 2024, Karelina flew to Russia. At the airport, the girl's phone was studied by border guards and asked to come to the police.

A few days before departure back, January 27, when she came to the department, she was already waiting for FSB staff. They detained and arrested Karelin for small hooliganism - allegedly swore by a mat (Xenia denied it). She did not come out of the special receptionist: she was charged with treason and sent to a pre -trial detention center.

In exchange for Ksenia Karelina, Arthur Petrov, a citizen of Germany and Russia, arrested in Cyprus at the request of Washington, was released on charges of fraudulent purchase and export of sensitive microelectronics used in Russian weapons. According to WSJ, the CIA has played a central role in the organization of exchange on Thursday. It is reported that CIA Director John Retcliffe negotiated with the chairman of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov.

"Today, President Trump returned home another illegally detained American from Russia. I am proud of CIA staff who worked hard to support these efforts and we are grateful to the UAE government for allowing it to exchange," Retcliffe quit the material. Retcliffe was reported to have repeatedly communicated with Bortnikov, as well as with Sergiy Narishkin, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (CZR), since he became the CIA director.

Bortnikov also participated in last year's negotiations on the release of the WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich. Recall that this exchange has become a second similar exchange between Washington and Moscow from the moment of admission to the post of President Donald Trump early this year. In February, the United States achieved the liberation of Mark Fogel, an American teacher, placed in prison in Russia on charges of preserving drugs, in exchange for Russian cryptocurrency figure Alexander Vinnik.