Ksenia Karelina was arrested for treason by Russian authorities on Tuesday after allegedly raising money for the Ukrainian army.
She is currently in pre-trial detention in Yekaterinburg after being arrested by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), accused of collecting funds for a Ukrainian organization whose ultimate beneficiary was the Ukrainian army.
Karelina, 33, holds dual nationality for the US and Russia and was living in Los Angeles, California before her arrest. She attended Ural Federal University in Yekaterinburg and was detained in the city while visiting her parents.
In 2021, Karelina posted on VKontakte, a Russian version of Facebook, that she had received US citizenship and announced her marriage to an American citizen in 2023.
The FSB’s statement said: “Since February 2022, she has proactively collected funds in the interests of one of the Ukrainian organizations, which were subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
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As well as allegedly raising money for the Ukrainian military, Karelina’s treason charge is also because the FSB believes that she “repeatedly took part in public actions in support of the Kyiv regime” while living in the US, according to Russia’s security service.
It continued: “Operational search activities and investigative actions continue. The court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for the accused.”
Following her arrest on the way to meet her parents, footage emerged of Karelina being escorted to the pre-detention facility in Yekaterinburg, roughly 900 miles east of Moscow.
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The footage was originally posted to Telegram and shows her wearing a cream puffer jacket and beanie, with the beanie being used as a blindfold.
She was escorted to custody by a Russian official in camoflauge, also with his face covered. She was handcuffed and placed behind bars in what appears to be a courtroom.
Her social media shows that she was also a keen dancer, as she posted many photos in ballet attire and on stage performing.
She could now face up to 20 years in prison – the maximum penalty for treason in Russia.
