Current:Home > MarketsA ballet dancer from Los Angeles is being detained in Russia on treason charges. Here's what to know. -WealthFlow Academy
A ballet dancer from Los Angeles is being detained in Russia on treason charges. Here's what to know.
View
Date:2025-04-18 07:32:37
Russia's main domestic intelligence agency has arrested a woman with dual U.S. and Russian citizenship on charges of treason, accusing her of collecting money for the Ukrainian military. Authorities did not name the woman, but her longtime employer in California identified her as Ksenia Khavana, whose maiden name is Ksenia Karelina.
The Federal Security Service said in a statement early Tuesday that the Los Angeles resident was arrested in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, about 1,100 miles east of Moscow. She had returned to Russia to visit family.
Here is what is known about Khavana and Russia's case against her.
Who is Ksenia Khavana?
Khavana, 33, is a citizen of the U.S. and Russia.
The independent Russian news outlet Mediazona identified her as Ksenia Karelina, her maiden name, and said that she had received U.S. citizenship after marrying an American.
Isabella Koretz, owner of Ciel Spa at the SLS Beverly Hills where Khavana has worked for eight years, told The Associated Press that Khavana, a ballet dancer, came to the U.S. to study at the University of Maryland in Baltimore before relocating to Los Angeles.
She said Khavana is divorced and does not have any relatives in the U.S. Koretz said she has grown close to Khavana over the years and treats her like "she's family."
According to Koretz, Khavana tried to see her family in Russia at least once a year, usually around Christmas and New Year's. This year, Koretz said, Khavana flew into Russia from Istanbul in early January for a two-week trip to spend time with her 90-year-old grandmother, parents and younger sister.
Koretz grew concerned when Khavana stopped returning her messages and phone calls after entering Russia. She said panic set in when Khavana ultimately did not return from her trip in mid-January as planned.
"This girl is like an angel," Koretz said. "You have to understand that she wouldn't hurt a fly."
What is she accused of?
CBS News correspondent Imtiaz Tyab reported that Khavana was arrested after making a donation of only about $51 to a Ukrainian charity. The Russian authorities also said she had attended pro-Ukraine rallies in the U.S.
Russia's Federal Security Service alleges that Khavana had been "proactively" raising funds for a Ukrainian organization since February 2022 — money that it says was "subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition by the Ukrainian Armed Forces."
The agency said she also took part in "public actions" in the U.S. in support of Kyiv. It did not provide further details about the allegations.
Koretz said Khavana actually was collecting funds for humanitarian aid and had made a donation to Razom for Ukraine, a U.S.-based nonprofit that says it provides medical kits and disaster relief to those affected by Russia's invasion of the country.
"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."
In its own statement Tuesday, the nonprofit's CEO said she was "appalled" by media reports of the arrest but did not name Khavana or confirm whether the woman had previously donated to the charity.
The organization said in an email to The Associated Press that it does not disclose the identities of its donors to protect their privacy.
"Razom calls on the U.S. government to continue to do everything in its power to demand that President Putin release all those unjustly detained by Russia and to hold Russia's political and military leadership accountable for their unprovoked invasion of Ukraine," Dora Chomiak said in her statement.
Where is she now?
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that the White House and the State Department were aware of reports of the arrest and added that "we are trying to get more information and to secure some consular access to that individual."
The Federal Security Service says that she has been ordered detained as a "preventative measure" while it continues its investigation.
Koretz said that Khavana, meanwhile, has been communicating with her colleagues at the spa through letters and has asked them to help her sell her belongings in Los Angeles, including her car.
"She doesn't want to leave anybody with her debts," Koretz said.
If convicted of treason under article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code, Khavana faces up to 20 years in prison.
Khavana's former mother-in-law Eleonora Srebroski tells CBS News that, in the wake of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny's death in prison, she's afraid of what might happen to her.
"I'm very, very concerned about her, about her physical wellbeing," Srebroski told CBS News on Tuesday. "We know that Navalny was just killed a few days ago. We know it wasn't just a death. It was the murder."
"I am in shock," she told CBS News, adding that there was "no justice in Russia whatsoever."
News on Tuesday of Khavana's arrest came the same day a court in the Russian capital ruled to keep Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in custody pending his trial on espionage charges that he denies.
- In:
- Russia
veryGood! (69494)
Related
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Home prices dip, Turkey's interest rate climbs, Amazon gets sued
- The Fed decides to wait and see
- Judge blocks a Florida law that would punish venues where kids can see drag shows
- 'Most Whopper
- Feel Cool This Summer in a Lightweight Romper That’s Chic and Comfy With 1,700+ 5-Star Amazon Reviews
- Denver psychedelics conference attracts thousands
- Amid Rising Emissions, Could Congressional Republicans Help the US Reach Its Climate Targets?
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- International Commission Votes to Allow Use of More Climate-Friendly Refrigerants in AC and Heat Pumps
Ranking
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Birmingham honors the Black businessman who quietly backed the Civil Rights Movement
- It's National Tequila Day 2023: See deals, recipes and drinks to try
- The missing submersible raises troubling questions for the adventure tourism industry
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Surfer Mikala Jones Dead at 44 After Surfing Accident
- If you love film, you should be worried about what's going on at Turner Classic Movies
- UPS workers facing extreme heat win a deal to get air conditioning in new trucks
Recommendation
Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
In Brazil, the World’s Largest Tropical Wetland Has Been Overwhelmed With Unprecedented Fires and Clouds of Propaganda
Former U.S. Gymnastics Doctor Larry Nassar Stabbed Multiple Times in Prison
Nature vs. nurture - what twin studies mean for economics
Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
OceanGate wants to change deep-sea tourism, but its missing sub highlights the risks
Drones show excavation in suspected Gilgo beach killer's back yard. What's next?
Save 40% On Top-Rated Mascaras From Tarte, Lancôme, It Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Too Faced, and More