History of Ksenia Karelina in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: April 10, 2025

Ksenia Karelina is a Russian-American ballet dancer imprisoned in Russia for treason. Accused by the FSB of supporting Ukraine by donating $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity, she was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Karelina was not part of the 2024 prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States. The FSB claimed her donation constituted participation in public actions supporting the Kyiv regime.

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Full Timeline

1991: Ksenia Karelina Born

Ksenia Karelina was born in 1991.

2012: Emigration to the United States

In 2012, Karelina emigrated to the United States.

2021: Became a U.S. Citizen

In 2021, Karelina became a citizen of the United States and resided in Los Angeles.

February 24, 2022: Donation to Razom

On February 24, 2022, Ksenia Karelina made a single transfer of $51.80 to Razom, a New York City-based nonprofit organization that sends humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, on the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

June 20, 2024: Trial Begins

On June 20, 2024, Ksenia Karelina's trial began.

August 15, 2024: Sentenced to 12 years in prison

On August 15, 2024, Ksenia Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the regional courts of Sverdlovsk and Yekaterinburg. Judge Andrei Mineev, who previously sentenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, delivered the sentence.

2024: Karelina not released in prisoner exchange

In 2024, Ksenia Karelina was not released as part of the Russian prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States.

2024: Arrested in Russia

In early 2024, Karelina was arrested while visiting her family in Yekaterinburg and charged with treason by the Russian government for sending money to Razom.