A Los Angeles woman arrested in Russia has been freed in a prisoner swap. Here's what we know

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A Los Angeles woman arrested in Russia has been freed in a prisoner swap. Here's what we know

2025-04-11 03:07 Last Updated At：03:20

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Moscow has freed a Russian American convicted of treason in exchange for a Russian German man jailed on smuggling charges in the U.S.

The prisoner swap was completed Thursday and Ksenia Karelina was "on a plane back home to the United States,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X.

She was arrested in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg in February 2024 and convicted of treason on charges stemming from a donation of about $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine. U.S. authorities have called the case “absolutely ludicrous.”

Here is what is known about Karelina and Russia's case against her:

Karelina, also identified in some media as Ksenia Khavana, is a citizen of the U.S. and Russia who had lived in Los Angeles.

The independent Russian news outlet Mediazona said that she had received U.S. citizenship after marrying an American.

Isabella Koretz, owner of a Beverly Hills spa where Karelina had worked for eight years, told The Associated Press last year that Karelina, a ballet dancer, came to the U.S. to study at the University of Maryland in Baltimore before relocating to California.

She said Karelina is now divorced and does not have any relatives in the U.S.

According to Koretz, Karelina tried to see her family in Russia at least once a year, usually around Christmas and New Year's. Koretz said Karelina flew to Russia from Istanbul in early January 2024 for a two-week trip to spend time with her 90-year-old grandmother, parents and younger sister. That's when she was arrested.

Koretz said in a written statement on Thursday that she was joyful and relieved by the news of Karelina's release, calling her a “resilient young woman who has shown incredible strength throughout this unimaginable ordeal.”

“I cannot wait to finally see her and give her the biggest hug. We are deeply grateful to the federal government for helping bring her home, and we continue to hope and pray for the safe return of all those still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones. Today is a day of hope, love, and profound gratitude,” Koretz wrote.

Russia's Federal Security Service alleged that Karelina had been “proactively” raising funds for a Ukrainian organization since February 2022 — money that it says was “subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

The First Department, a Russian rights group, said the charges stemmed from a $51.80 donation to a U.S. charity aiding Ukraine.

The agency said she also took part in “public actions” in the U.S. in support of Kyiv.

Koretz said last year that Karelina actually was collecting funds for humanitarian aid and had made a donation to Razom for Ukraine, a U.S.-based nonprofit that says it provides medical kits and disaster relief to those affected by Russia’s invasion of the country.

“We're talking about diapers and formula, that's what she was collecting money for,” Koretz said. “We're not talking about money for weapons.”

Dora Chomiak, CEO of Razom for Ukraine, said in a statement Thursday that the charity's staff was overjoyed at the news of Karelina's release.

Chomiak thanked President Donald Trump and his team for working to make it happen.

“She was unconscionably jailed for over a year for exercising the same freedoms that every American citizen holds, and that all Ukrainians are fighting to keep," the statement said. “We're incredibly grateful that she's free — but the work will not end until all Americans and Ukrainians held unjustly in Russian captivity are released and Russia's ambitions to destroy and conquer Ukraine are defeated.”

Arthur Petrov, a Russian German, was freed by the U.S. as part of the prisoner swap in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, according to the Federal Security Service, or FSB, Russia’s main security and counterintelligence agency.

Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in August 2023 at the request of the U.S. on charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia. He was extradited to the U.S. a year later.

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.