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Russia detains US woman for ‘HIGH TREASON’ after she raised just £41 for Ukraine – leaving her facing 20 years in prison
Watch the video to see Karelina being handcuffed and put behind bars
VLADIMIR Putin's cronies have detained a US woman on suspicion of high treason and left her facing 20 years behind bars.
Ksenia Karelina, 33, was taken away by Russia's FSB security services on suspicion of raising just £41 for the Ukrainian army.
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Chilling footage shows her being taken away with her hat covering her eyes by the Federal Security Service.
One man - dressed in a balaclava and combat uniform - guides her down some stairs before putting her in handcuffs.
Karelina was then ushered into a silver car by the armed FSB special services officer.
She left Russia and went to live in Los Angeles where she is believed to be married to an American man.
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She received US citizenship in 2021.
Russian state news agency TASS reported: "The Federal Security Service in Yekaterinburg suppressed the illegal activities of a 33-year-old resident of Los Angeles, who has dual citizenship of Russia and the United States."
She was allegedly "involved in providing financial assistance to a foreign state”.
And is accused of participating in public events in the US to help support Ukraine.
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Karelina is suspected of collecting money for a Ukrainian organisation for the past two years since Putin invaded Ukraine and started his bloody war.
Reports suggested she only raised £41 for the cause.
Russia viewed the organisation as aiding the Ukrainian military and therefore said anyone caught sending them money would be detained for treason.
Karelina was caught as she made her way to Russia to see her parents who chose to stay under Putin's horror regime.
She was later seen in the footage behind bars in a pretrial detention jail as she awaits a hearing.
Political scientist Fyodor Krasheninnikov claimed: “She probably supported Ukraine a couple of times on social networks, maybe she collected something there.
“If you participated in any anti-war protests, wrote something on social networks, or, especially, donated to Ukrainians or encouraged them to do this, think a hundred times.
“Do you really need to go to Russia urgently? A second passport will not save you from anything.”
The FSB has recently detained a record number of people for alleged espionage and high treason.
This includes a string of scientists - some in their 70s - accused of supplying hypersonic missile secrets to the West or China.
Putin's henchmen are said to be engaged in a “spy mania” witch-hunt among leading aerospace academics.
Six world-class hypersonic and laser scientists have been detained so far, one of whom died in custody.
“They are starting to see enemies everywhere,” said one Western diplomat. "It feels like paranoia."
Also among those detained on espionage charges is Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
The American, 32, was falsely jailed over bogus spy charges and has spent 278 days behind bars so far.
He was arrested by the FSB on March 29 while on a reporting trip in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.
Russia continues to extend his pre-trial detention without providing any public evidence to back up their claims.
Washington has repeatedly called the charges "ridiculous" and President Joe Biden branded Gershkovich's detention as "totally illegal".
The WSJ denies the charges and has called for his immediate release, as has his family.
He is the first Western reporter to be jailed on espionage charges in Russia since the Soviet era, and he faces a prison term of up to 20 years if convicted.
Just last year, Russian warlord Igor Girkin was also arrested after branding Putin a "useless coward".
The commander turned military blogger repeatedly criticised the tyrant and warned the country would not survive another term under him.
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Girkin's wife Miroslava Reginskaya announced on Telegram he had been detained on charges of "extremism".
At least eight Russian top brass have been detained or suspended in a mass purge as Putin's defence chief roots out the "bad blood" in the Kremlin.
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