Ukraine war: Russia arrests US-Russian woman on suspicion of treason

A woman with citizenship in both the US and Russia has been arrested in Russia for allegedly betraying her country and giving money to Ukraine’s army.

The woman from Los Angeles was collecting money for a Ukrainian group that supports the armed forces in Kyiv, according to the Russian security agency FSB.

She was also accused of going to rallies in the US that support Ukraine.

The 33-year-old was held by the police in Yekaterinburg.

The FSB stated that the woman has been gathering money for the Ukrainian organization since February 2022, when Russia began its big military operation in the country.

It said that the money was later used to buy things like medical supplies, equipment, and weapons and bullets for the Ukrainian army.

The video from RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency, showed a woman with her face covered and blurred, walking with a police officer.

She was put in handcuffs and taken to a police car. Then she was taken to a small room in the court and later taken out.

The FSB stated that the woman was working against the safety of our country and was supporting the Ukrainian army while in the US.

Last year in April, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, made a new law that gives a longer jail sentence for treason. This is part of his plan to stop people from speaking against the government.

The FSB arrested a woman in Yekaterinburg, which is 1,600km east of Moscow. This is the same city where US journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested for spying last year.

Mr Gershkovich, who knows a lot about Russia, was working for the Wall Street Journal at the time.

In January, Russia decided to keep him in jail until the end of March for trial. He could go to prison for up to 20 years if he is proven guilty.

The US government says that the reporter was kept in custody unfairly.

Last week, Mr Putin told US host Tucker Carlson in an interview that he thinks they might be able to make a deal to release Mr Gershkovich.

A few more Americans are currently in jail in Russia. One of them is Paul Whelan, a former marine who has been in prison there since 2018. He was found guilty of spying and has to spend 16 years in prison.