(PatriotWise.com) — US officials confirmed that a former ballerina with dual US/Russian citizenship was detained in Russia in late January on suspicion of treason, NBC News reported.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) revealed on Tuesday that 33-year-old Ksenia Karelina, a former ballerina from Los Angeles, had been detained while visiting the central Russian city of Yekaterinburg on January 27 and was jailed in early February.
According to ABC News, the FSB has detained Karelina for a series of alleged pro-Ukrainian actions since 2022, including attending US rallies in support of Ukraine, raising funds for Ukraine’s military, and posting anti-Russia messages on social media.
According to Russian state media outlets, among Karelina’s alleged treasonous actions was making a $51.80 donation to a Ukrainian charity.
Russian officials released video footage taken after Karelina’s arrest showing her handcuffed with a white hat pulled down over her eyes as she is escorted by a masked guard.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said US embassy officials in Moscow were working to gain access to Karelina and learn more about her arrest.
However, Miller said accessing Karelina could prove difficult since the US does not have many “regular engagements” with the Kremlin at this time. He also cautioned that Moscow had a history of not recognizing the American citizenship of dual citizens like Karelina.
Miller told reporters on Wednesday that Karelina’s arrest served as a reminder to all US citizens, particularly those with dual citizenship, of the dangers traveling to Russia posed, especially at a time when the Russians are detaining their own citizens.
Miller said the State Department had made it as clear as possible that Americans should not travel to Russia “for any reason, period.” He said any American would be at risk of detention, arrest, and imprisonment from the “Russian regime.”
Miller again instructed Americans who may be “considering travel to Russia for any reason” not to do it, adding the State Department couldn’t “say it any more clearly than that.”
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