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.
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 (1,770 kilometers) east of Moscow. She had returned to Russia to visit family.
Authorities did not name the woman, but her longtime employer in California identified her as Ksenia Khavana.
Here is what is known about Khavana and Russia’s case against her:
Who is 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…
