1 week Ago By The Telegraph
Moscow released a Russian-American ballet dancer in a prisoner swap with the US carried out early this morning in Abu Dhabi. Ksenia Karelina, who is in her early 30s, was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony in 2024 after a Russian court found her guilty of treason for donating £40 to a charity supporting Ukraine. In exchange for Ms Karelina’s release, first reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the US freed Arthur Petrov, 33, a German-Russian national who was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 for allegedly smuggling US-sourced military technology to Russia.
The deal was spearheaded by John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, and a senior Russian intelligence official, a CIA official told the WSJ. “Today, President Trump brought home another unjustly detained American from Russia,” Mr Ratcliffe said. “I’m proud of the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort, and we appreciate the Government of the UAE for enabling the exchange.
” Mike Waltz, the US national security advisor, confirmed that Ms Karelina would be returning to the United States. The move comes as relations between Russia and the US continue to thaw. Officials from both countries arrived in Istanbul this morning for talks aimed at normalising the work of their diplomatic missions.
Later today, the “coalition of the willing” is set to meet in Brussels to discuss a potential multinational peacekeeping force to support Ukraine. Defence ministers from over 30 countries will convene under the guidance of John Healey, the Defence Secretary, and Sebastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces of France. Mr Healey is expected to urge leaders to ramp up pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine and tell them that they must not “jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war”.
He and Mr Lecornu discussed the possible “reassurance force” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his military chiefs in Kyiv last weekend. 12:31 PM BST Watch: Ksenia Karelina released 12:07 PM BST Kremlin says China not being drawn into conflict The Kremlin on Thursday dismissed comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that China was being drawn into the conflict in Ukraine, saying that Beijing has a “balanced position”. China warned Ukraine against making “irresponsible” remarks after Mr Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence had revealed at least 155 Chinese citizens were fighting on the side of Russia in Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky said Russia was recruiting Chinese nationals via social media and that Chinese officials were aware of it. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian called Beijing “a firm supporter and active promoter of a peaceful settlement of the crisis” and said China always attempts to dissuade its citizens from signing up to fight in foreign conflicts. Asked about Mr Zelensky’s remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was not dragging Beijing into the conflict.
“This is not the case. China takes a balanced position. China is our strategic partner, friend (and) comrade,” Peskov said.
“Zelensky is wrong.” 11:45 AM BST Who is Arthur Petrov? In return for the release of Ksenia Karelina, the US released a Russian-German national accused of exporting sensitive US electronics for use in Russia’s military Arthur Petrov, a dual Russian-German national, was arrested in August 2023 in Cyprus at the request of the US for allegedly exporting sensitive microelectronics to manufacturers supplying weaponry and equipment to the Russian military. Petrov worked for LLC Electrocom VPK, a Russia-based supplier of electronic components for weapons and equipment manufacturers supplying the Russian armed forces, according to court documents cited by the US Department of Justice.
The US claimed Petrov and two accomplices who also worked for Electrocom fraudulently procured microelectronics from US distributors using a network of shell companies, based in Cyprus and other third countries, to disguise that the ultimate destination for the equipment was Russia. Petrov and his co-conspirators imported more than $225,000 worth of electronic components from the US to Russia in the course of the scheme, according to the Justice Department. Following his arrest in Cyprus, Petrov was extradited to the US and charged with multiple crimes including conspiracy, violating export controls, conspiracy to smuggle and money laundering.
11:26 AM BST Analysis: The exchange shows nothing about Putin’s desire to negotiate peace in Ukraine Vladimir Putin will be crowing that his Western hostage strategy has once again paid off. Moscow has swapped one of its people, who has some military significance, for a regular civilian. But with the return of an American-Russian ballerina, arrested by Russian authorities for donating money to Ukrainian causes, Washington will use this as evidence that it’s trying to normalise relations between the two countries.
In return, Russia got back a man accused of smuggling sanctioned components back to his country. In the eyes of Team Trump, the prisoner swap will serve as a confidence-building exercise between the two capitals, proof to Putin that America does indeed mean business and is willing to show a kinder side in the future. But ultimately, this transaction proves nothing to the world about Putin’s desire to negotiate peace in Ukraine.
11:08 AM BST At least 10 US citizens still in Russian captivity At least ten Americans remain imprisoned in Russia. Among them are Gordon Black, a US Army staff sergeant who travelled to Vladivostok to visit his girlfriend and was later accused of theft, and Robert Woodland, a former English teacher who was adopted from Russia as a child and later convicted on drug-related charges. Robert Gilman, a former US Marine, is also currently serving a seven-year and one-month sentence handed down in October after a Russian court found him guilty of assaulting a prison officer and a state investigator at a penal colony in Voronezh.
Another of those in captivity is Travis Leake, a musician in his late 50s, had been living in Russia for years and was arrested in June 2023 on drug-related charges. In 2014, Mr Leake discussed freedom of speech in Russia, during an episode of Parts Unknown with its late host Anthony Bourdain. 11:01 AM BST Pictured: Ballerina freed by Russia 10:44 AM BST Ukraine fires new ‘helicopter-drone’ at Russia Credit: Telegram/@zsuwar | Telegram/@supernova_plus Ukraine appears to have fired a new “helicopter-drone” at Russia.
Footage shows Russian air defence firing at an aerial target, which seems to have a bright spinning rotor, over Naro-Fominsk, Moscow Oblast. Drones used on the frontline typically have four small rotors. However a helicopter-style single rotor is unusual, particularly for long-range UAVs.
Overnight, Russian air defence systems destroyed 48 Ukrainian drones, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed. Thirteen were downed over Bryansk and Kursk region, it said, while twelve drones were shot down over the Kaluga region. Others were destroyed over Belgorod, Moscow, Oryol and Russia-annexed Crimea, the ministry added.
09:46 AM BST Watch: Ukrainian soldier shoots down Russian drone Credit: Telegram/@operativnoZSU 09:19 AM BST Four Ukrainian soldiers ‘killed in captivity’ Russian soldiers appeared to have executed at least four Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to reports. The incident was recorded by two drones - one operated by Ukraine and the other by Russia - above the village of Piatykhatky in southern Ukraine. The footage, obtained by the Associated Press, appears to show Ukrainian soldiers emerging from a damaged building under Russian orders, one of them with hands raised in surrender.
They are then shown lying face-down on the grass. Individuals in Russian military uniforms then appear to raise their weapons and shoot the Ukrainian soldiers in the back. The shots were fired with such force that one of the victims was decapitated.
A separate video recorded by a Russian drone and circulated on pro-Kremlin social media platforms cuts off with the prisoners still alive. However, additional footage later showed their deaths. 08:56 AM BST Chinese foreign ministry issues warning Beijing has cautioned Ukraine and its Western allies against making “irresponsible remarks” regarding alleged Chinese involvement in Russia’s war effort.
It follows claims by Volodymyr Zelensky that China is ignoring Russian efforts to recruit Chinese nationals via social media, with Ukrainian intelligence indicating that at least 155 Chinese citizens are fighting for Russia. China’s Foreign Ministry emphasised that its citizens are advised to avoid conflict zones and refrain from engaging in military actions. It also called for all parties to remain “sober” about China’s role in the conflict.
08:31 AM BST Ramp up pressure on Russia, Defence Secretary to urge West Western nations must ramp up pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine, the Defence Secretary will urge leaders later today. John Healey will discuss a potential multinational peacekeeping force to support Ukraine as he hosts the latest “coalition of the willing” meeting. He is set to urge defence ministers to put “even more pressure” on Vladimir Putin and tell them that they must not “jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war”.
Defence ministers from over 30 countries will convene today in Brussels under the guidance of Mr Healey and Sebastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces of France. The two leaders discussed the possible “reassurance force” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his military chiefs in Kyiv last weekend. 08:09 AM BST Watch: Putin launches spring offensive 07:55 AM BST Russia and US to hold talks on diplomatic missions Russia and the United States are set to hold talks in Turkey on Thursday on normalising the work of their diplomatic missions.
The talks in Istanbul will be led by Russia’s new ambassador to Washington, Alexander Darchiev, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter, Russia’s foreign ministry said. The main focus, according to Moscow and Washington, is restoring the work of diplomatic missions after years of rows, mutual claims of intimidation and even the freezing of diplomatic property complicated relations between the two nuclear powers. “Ukraine is not, absolutely not on the agenda,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday.
“These talks are solely focused on our embassy operations, not on normalising a bilateral relationship overall, which can only happen, as we’ve noted, once there is peace between Russia and Ukraine.” 07:41 AM BST Russian drone attacks injure 12 Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and the southern city of Mykolaiv overnight, injuring at least 12 people, authorities said on Thursday. Two women were injured in the capital, where drones also sparked a fire at a storage facility and damaged residential buildings, the Kyiv city military administration said.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 85 out of 145 drones launched by Russia during its overnight attack. Another 49 did not reach their targets likely due to electronic warfare countermeasures, it said. It did not specify what happened to the remaining 11 drones.
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