Russia-US inmate exchange in Abu Dhabi

(MENAFN) Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has published two videos capturing the recent prisoner exchange between Moscow and Washington, which was facilitated by the United Arab Emirates and took place at Abu Dhabi airport on Thursday.

The swap saw Russia release Ksenia Karelina, a dual US-Russian citizen who had been serving a 12-year prison sentence for donating to a charity supporting Ukraine’s military. In exchange, the US freed Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian national facing up to 20 years in prison for allegedly smuggling sensitive microelectronics, following his extradition from Cyprus.

The first video released by the FSB shows Karelina being transported by minibus to a Russian aircraft and escorted onboard by a masked official. The second video captures Petrov exiting a plane in Abu Dhabi, flanked by officials with blurred faces. He is then seen boarding another aircraft, where a doctor checks his blood pressure. When asked about his condition, Petrov responds, “Not bad. But I haven’t slept for two days... It’s been a long transit.”

While the Kremlin has not issued a formal statement on the exchange, a CIA representative emphasized that the swap underscores the importance of maintaining communication channels with Russia amid ongoing diplomatic tensions

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