Ksenia Karelina, an American ballerina, was initially arrested for minor offenses before being charged with aiding the military effort in Ukraine during the war.
Ksenia Karelina, a dual Russian-American ballerina, has been detained by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on treasonous charges, according to reports released on Tuesday. Her arrest occurred in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.
Karelina was initially arrested for minor offenses, but she was later charged with aiding the military effort in Ukraine
Several Russian news outlets have released video of Karelina, 32, being led into a courtroom in handcuffs, her face blurred. It’s still unclear when the video was shot.
According to the Daily Mail, Karelina, a Los Angeles resident who became a US citizen in 2021, used to post happy moments from her life in the United States on social media. She married her American partner last summer, whose identity remains unknown.
Karelina was initially arrested for minor offenses, but she was later charged with aiding the military effort in Ukraine after allegedly transferring $51.80 from her American bank account to the Ukrainian charity Razom.
According to the Moscow Times, the FSB accuses Karelina of “proactively collecting funds since February 2022 in the interests of a Ukrainian organization, which were subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons, and ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
“In addition, the citizen in question repeatedly took part in public actions in support of the Kyiv regime while in the United States,” the law enforcement agency added.
Treason charges in Russia carry harsh prison sentences, and 63 people have been charged with treason since 2023, with 37 of them convicted.
Who is Ksenia Karelina?
According to her Facebook page, Karelina received ballet training at the S. P. Diaghilev School in Yekaterinburg. After graduating from Ural Federal University in 2013, she began her career in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2014.
According to Mediazona, the charges against Karelina ranged from minor infractions to high treason. She stopped using Russian social media in 2021, after becoming a US citizen.
Karelina’s LinkedIn profile details her career as a manager at Ciel Spa Beverly Hills, beginning in 2019.
The White House is looking for more information about a dual Russian-American ballerina who was detained by Putin’s FSB on treasonous suspicions, and it is advising any American citizens in Moscow to leave immediately.