On Tuesday, a noteworthy incident took place in the city of Yekaterinburg, Russia, where the Russian security forces detained a woman of dual nationality – Russian and American – on suspicions of treason. It is alleged that she was involved in fundraising activities for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, an action that occurred in the backdrop of the invasion of Ukraine that started in February 2022.
Details about the incident were shared by the Federal Security Service (FSB) through a statement published on their official website. According to the statement, the FSB agents were successful in thwarting the illegal operations of a 33-year-old woman who resides in Los Angeles. She holds dual Russian-American nationality and her activities were suspected to be directed against the security interests of Russia, mainly involving the provision of financial aid to a foreign State.
The statement further elaborated on her activities, stating that since February 2022, she had been proactively involved in fundraising efforts for a Ukrainian organization. The funds collected were subsequently used to procure tactical weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Moreover, she was known to have participated in public demonstrations in the United States in support of the Kyiv regime, numerous times.
The FSB further revealed that in light of these activities, their investigative unit in the Sverdlovsk region has initiated a case under article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code. This specific article deals with cases related to treason. As the operational search activities and investigations continue, the court has ordered the detention of the accused as a preventive measure.
As of now, the identity of the detained individual remains undisclosed and there has been no comment on the matter from the United States authorities.
It’s worth noting that this is not an isolated incident. The Russian security forces previously detained an American in January on charges of alleged production and sale of drugs. In March 2023, Evan Gershkovich, a journalist from ‘The Wall Street Journal’, was arrested in Yekaterinburg on allegations of espionage.
These individuals join the list of detainees that includes Paul Whelan, a former Marine, who was arrested in 2018 and later sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges of espionage. The United States has repeatedly condemned these detentions, describing them as unjust. They believe these actions to be part of a larger Russian strategy aimed at achieving prisoner exchanges.
