Russian Ballerina Jailed For Donating To Ukraine Charity

Russian ballerina, Ksenia Karelina has been arrested and imprisoned in Russia for donating £39 to a charity that aids Ukraine.

Ksenia Karelina, who holds US and Russian citizenship, will spend the next 12 years in prison after being convicted of treason on Thursday, August 15.

The dancer was seized in February 2024 after traveling from Los Angeles to visit her 90-year-old grandmother, parents, and younger sister in their home in southwestern Russia.

Karelina was handcuffed in Yekaterinburg, three days before her intended return home.

Russia's FSB inspected her phone and discovered that she made a payment to Razom, a charity that helps Ukraine, on the first day of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Initially, the 33-year-old had been arrested on hooliganism charges, but the state later accused her of "state treason".

Investigators said she "proactively collected money in the interests of one of the Ukrainian organisations, which was subsequently used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, weapons, and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces."

But Razom, the non-profit which is based in New York, denies providing military aid to Ukraine.