Russian authorities arrested a Los Angeles resident and dual citizen on suspicion of treason for raising funds for the charity. Ukraine in it Defense against the invasion of the Kremlin.
A senior US official told NBC News that the detained American is Ksenia Karelina, an American ballerina of Russian descent. The US official said that 33-year-old Karelina became a US citizen in 2021.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said early Tuesday morning in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg that the unnamed woman had dual Russian-American citizenship. The White House said it was working to secure access to the consulate.
From 2022, that woman was “involved in providing financial assistance to a foreign state in activities aimed at the security of our country,” the information states.
The statement added that the suspect collected money spent on medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition during the Ukrainian war. Other details and descriptions of any evidence have not been released.
“In addition, this citizen has repeatedly participated in actions in support of the Kiev regime in the United States,” the information says.
Karelina entered Russia on January 2 and the US learned of her arrest on February 8, a US official said.
He is accused of treason Article 275 of the Criminal Code of RussiaIt is punishable by deprivation of liberty from 12 to 20 years, as well as confiscation of property.
As in previous arrests of foreigners and dual citizens, the woman was remanded in custody pending trial.
There was no immediate comment from the US Embassy in Moscow or the State Department. “The White House and the State Department are working to obtain more information and secure consular access to the individual,” a White House official told NBC News on Tuesday.
In January, US citizen Robert Romanov was Woodland was arrested and imprisoned on drug trafficking charges.
Russian-American dual reporter Alsu Kurmasheva was detained late last year and accused of failing to register as a foreign agent. And a Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich He has been in prison for almost a year on charges of espionage, which he denies.
It was confirmed early Tuesday that Gershkovich will remain in prison until at least March 30 after the Moscow City Court rejected his latest appeal, state media reported, citing RIA.
The United States says Gershkovich is one of a number of its citizens illegally detained in the country, including a former Marine. Paul Whelan.
Russia’s intervention in Ukraine will celebrate its second anniversary on Saturday with the administration of President Joe Biden considers whether or not to supply Kiev passes a new aid package in Congress with long-range ATACMS missiles.
Ken Dilanian and Phil Helsel contributed.