Washington D.C. – Reuters, April 10, 2025
Russia on Thursday released Ksenia Karelina, a dual Russian-U.S. citizen and Los Angeles spa worker, who had been serving a 12-year sentence for treason for donating just over $50 to a New York-based charity providing humanitarian support to Ukraine.
The State Department had designated Karelina as “wrongfully detained” by Russia, committing Washington to try to negotiate her release.
Around 10 other Americans remain behind bars in Russia. Here are the most prominent cases.
STEPHEN JAMES HUBBARD
Hubbard, 73, was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison in October after being convicted in a closed court in Moscow of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine. Russian state media said he pleaded guilty.
An English teacher who had previously lived in Japan and Cyprus, Hubbard had been living in the Ukrainian town of Izium and was arrested after Russian forces took control of the city in 2022. His relatives rejected claims that Hubbard served for Ukraine, pointing to his advanced age.
He was designated in January as “wrongfully detained”, and after Karelina’s release, is believed to be the only American with that designation still in Russian custody.
