Russian authorities have detained a woman who is a Los Angeles resident and dual national on suspicion of treason for raising funds to support Ukraine in its defense against the Kremlin’s invasion.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg said early Tuesday that the unnamed 33-year-old woman has dual Russian-American citizenship.
Since 2022 she “was involved in providing financial assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of our country,” the statement said.
The statement said the suspect collected money for the Ukrainian war effort that was spent on medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition. No other details nor a description of any evidence were released.
“In addition, in the United States, this citizen repeatedly took part in public actions in support of the Kiev regime,” it said.
She is accused of treason under article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code, which is punishable by 12 to 20 years in prison, as well confiscation of property.
As with previous arrests of foreign- and dual-nationals, the woman is detained under a pre-trial custody order.
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow or the State Department.
In January, U.S. national Robert Romanov Woodland was arrested and detained on drug trafficking charges.
Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual Russian American reporter, was detained late last year and charged with failure to register as a foreign agent. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been held for nearly a year on espionage charges he denies.
The U.S. says Gershkovich is one of a number of its citizens wrongfully detained in the country, including former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will mark its second anniversary on Saturday, with President Joe Biden’s administration considering whether to supply Kyiv with long-range ATACMS missiles while a new aid package is held up in Congress.
