Dual US-Russian citizen arrested in Yekaterinburg for raising funds for Ukrainian Armed Forces

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested a Los Angeles resident who holds dual US-Russian citizenship in Yekaterinburg in the Urals, it announced on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old, whose name was not released, has been charged with treason for collecting donations for a “Ukrainian organisation” which, it said, then used the funds to purchase equipment and medicine for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She was also charged for her alleged participation in demonstrations of support for Ukraine.

Independent media outlet Mediazona reported that the woman’s name is Ksenia Karelina, who studied at the Ural Federal University, according to her Facebook page, before marrying an American and receiving US citizenship.

It was not immediately clear which specific transaction the FSB deemed incriminating, but Telegram channels suggested it was a donation of $51 Karelina made on the day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine to a fund called “Razom for Ukraine”.

Karelina was initially detained for “petty hooliganism” on 27 January and placed under arrest for 14 days. However, during that time, criminal charges were pressed and her arrest was extended to two months.