Russia and U.S. could conduct prisoner swap in February, says lawyer of dual citizen jailed for donating to Ukraine

Russia and the U.S. could conduct another prisoner exchange in February 2025, according to a lawyer representing Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen serving a 12-year prison sentence in Russia for donating $51 to a Ukrainian aid organization.

The lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, confirmed in a video published by Ponyatno Media that Karelina is on a prisoner exchange list, though it’s unclear who else would be included. “We knew an exchange would happen one way or another. We did everything necessary for it,” he stated.

Earlier this week, the Telegram channel Mash reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry has a list of 70 individuals charged in the U.S. with espionage and organizing sanction evasion schemes who would be candidates for a prisoner swap.