Dual US, Russian citizen detained on treason charges in Russia, tied to Ukraine donations

A dual U.S. and Russian citizen has been arrested in Russia after being accused of treason for allegedly raising funds for Ukraine.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said they arrested a Los Angeles resident for treason. The FSB did not name the woman arrested, but her employer Ciel Spa in the SLS luxury hotel in Beverly Grove identified her as 33-year-old Ksenia Khavana, the Associated Press reported.

"Since February 2022, she has proactively collected funds in the interests of one of the Ukrainian organizations, which were subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In addition, in the United States, this citizen repeatedly took part in public actions in support of the Kyiv regime," the FSB said.

Mediazona, an independent Russian news outlet, also identified the woman as Ksenia Karelina, her maiden name. The AP reported that Khavana gained U.S. citizenship after marrying an American.

'She wouldn't hurt a fly'

Isabella Koretz, Khavana's employer and friend, told the AP that Khavana was on a two-week trip to Russia in mid-January to spend time with family, including her 90-year-old grandmother.

Koretz said before moving to Los Angeles, Khavana initially came to the U.S. to study at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Khavana was a ballet dancer.

Khavana was divorced and had no family in the U.S., Koretz told the AP, adding that Khavana has always treated her like family.

“This girl is like an angel,” Koretz said. “You have to understand that she wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Koretz said she became concerned when Khavana stopped responding to text messages during her trip and became even more alarmed when she never returned to work.

Donations were to U.S.- based nonprofit

According to Koretz, Khavana was donating money to U.S.-based nonprofit, Razom for Ukraine.

“We’re talking about diapers and formula, that’s what she was collecting money for,” Koretz said. “We’re not talking about money for weapons.”

First Department, a Russian human rights project, said they're aware that the donation in question was a $51.80 transfer from her American bank account to Razom made on February 24, 2022. The agency did not specify how they learned that information.

According to the group, Khavana was first arrested on January 27 on charges of “petty hooliganism,” and was sentenced to 14 days in jail. She hadn't left the detention center when she was arrested on the treason charge on Feb. 7.

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Khavana was arrested in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, the same city where Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in March 2023.

In a statement on the reports of Khavana's arrest, Razom CEO Dora Chomiak said the non-profit was "appalled" by the arrest that was made in the aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but did not specifically mention Khavana by name.

If convicted of treason, Khavana could face up to 20 years in prison, the AP reported.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman said the White House and the State Department are aware of the reports and are "trying to get more information and to secure some consular access to that individual." "Out of respect for privacy, we’re not really able to comment a whole lot more than that.  I hope you can understand that," Kirby said.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dual US, Russian citizen detained in Russia for donating to Ukraine