The United States and Russia carried out a high-profile prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, marking the second such swap in less than two months. Among those released was Ksenia Karelina, a U.S. resident who had been imprisoned in Russia on charges of treason.
Russia and the U.S. carried out a prisoner swap early Thursday in Abu Dhabi. Ksenia Karelina, an amateur ballerina and Los Angeles resident, had been in prison in Russia for over a year after being arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg in early 2024. She had previously spent over a decade in a Russian prison after making a donation of just over $50 to a New York-based charity offering humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Her contribution was deemed an act of treason, leading to a 12-year sentence behind bars.
She is now released and heading back to the U.S. as part of a prisoner exchange for Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen. Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 and later extradited to the United States. He was accused of illegally exporting microelectronics to Russia for manufacturers linked to the Russian military, and faced charges including export control violations, smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Karelina’s release on X, stating that U.S. President Trump secured her freedom after she was wrongfully held by Russia. He added that the president’s efforts to free all detained Americans are ongoing. Around 10 other U.S. citizens remain imprisoned in Russia.
According to officials, the prisoner swap took place in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the exchange, stating that Abu Dhabi was chosen due to the “close friendship between both countries and the United Arab Emirates.” The ministry expressed hope that the exchange would help ease tensions and promote dialogue for greater regional and global stability. This marks the second prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S. in under two months.
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Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 18 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of science.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russia’s first State Duma election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine is testing the country’s political system as voters choose a new parliament amid wartime and economic pressures.
From Russia’s parliamentary election and Germany’s regional votes to the U.S. midterms, several major elections are taking place in September and November of 2026. Meanwhile, Sweden has already voted, with parties now negotiating to form a new government.
Pakistan has described the situation around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as “exceptionally serious”, calling for dialogue and diplomacy as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia intensify.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are taking “concrete steps” to make a recently signed joint defence pact operational, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday.
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