Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard on Wednesday, October 21, after U.S. President Donald Trump asked for his freedom. Hubbard, a retired schoolteacher who had been imprisoned on charges of fighting for Ukraine, is returning to the United States.
Russia has released American citizen Stephen Hubbard after more than four years in detention, in a move announced during a meeting between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg.
Hubbard, 74, had been serving a prison sentence of six years and 10 months after a Russian court convicted him of mercenary activity in October 2024. He was arrested in April 2022 in the Ukrainian city of Izyum, where Russian authorities alleged he had fought alongside Ukrainian forces.
Putin told Witkoff on Wednesday that Hubbard had been released and was at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, preparing to return to the United States.
Trump said the release followed a direct request he made to Putin the previous week. The American president welcomed the development, describing it as a diplomatic achievement.
“Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family,” Trump said in a social media post.
Trump also emphasized that no prisoner exchange had been required, although the circumstances surrounding the decision come amid broader negotiations between Washington and Moscow. The White House had recently taken steps to ease certain sanctions affecting Russian diesel exports.
Witkoff Thanks Putin for the Release
Witkoff traveled to St. Petersburg on Wednesday to discuss proposals aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. During his meeting with Putin, the U.S. envoy expressed gratitude for Hubbard’s release.
“Because of you, he’s going home to his family,” Witkoff told the Russian president.
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, later said the decision had been made at Trump’s request, with Hubbard’s poor health also taken into consideration.
Hubbard’s release was confirmed by U.S. officials and Russian state media. His son, Joseph Coleman, told Reuters that he had spoken briefly with his father by telephone before Hubbard boarded a plane in Russia.
Hubbard’s U.S.-based lawyer, Martin De Luca, also thanked Trump, Witkoff and other American officials for their role in securing his release.
Why Was Stephen Hubbard Imprisoned in Russia?
Hubbard, a native of Michigan, was arrested in April 2022 after Russian forces captured Izyum in eastern Ukraine, where he had been living with his Ukrainian partner.
Russian prosecutors accused him of joining a Ukrainian territorial defense unit, receiving military training and weapons, and agreeing to fight in exchange for approximately $1,000 a month.
Following a closed trial in Moscow in October 2024, he was convicted of mercenary activity and sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison.
Russian state media reported that Hubbard pleaded guilty. However, his family and legal representatives questioned the conviction and disputed the allegations against him.
His lawyer previously told Reuters that Hubbard had said he was not a member of any military or combat unit and that the charges were false. His sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, also questioned whether her brother would have taken up arms, describing him as someone who was not inclined toward military activity.
The U.S. government had formally designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained, reflecting Washington’s position on the circumstances of his imprisonment.
A Diplomatic Gesture Amid Tensions Over Ukraine
Hubbard’s release comes at a sensitive moment in U.S.-Russia relations, as the Trump administration continues efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
Witkoff’s visit to Russia followed meetings in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders. The envoy said he had brought proposals for possible peace arrangements to discuss with Putin.
The release also comes amid growing differences between Washington and Kyiv over the direction of negotiations and the terms of a potential settlement.
Trump has repeatedly called on Zelensky to reach an agreement with Moscow, while Putin has shown limited willingness to abandon Russia’s central objectives in the conflict.
Although Hubbard’s freedom represents an important development for his family, it remains unclear whether the decision will lead to progress on the wider issues separating Russia, Ukraine and their international partners.
For now, the immediate focus is Hubbard’s return to the United States after more than four years in Russian custody. His case had become a concern for American officials, particularly after his conviction in 2024 and reports of deteriorating health.
The release provides a positive outcome for Hubbard and his family, while adding another development to the complex diplomatic negotiations surrounding the war in Ukraine.
