Russia Frees American Stephen Hubbard After Four Years in Prison as Trump Envoy Meets Putin

ST PETERSBURG, Russia — Russia has released American citizen Stephen Hubbard after more than four years in detention, in a development announced as US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on the war in Ukraine.

Putin announced Hubbard’s release on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, saying the 74-year-old was at St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport. Witkoff confirmed the release during his meeting with the Russian leader and thanked Putin for allowing Hubbard to return to his family.

The release followed comments by US President Donald Trump a day earlier that he had discussed Hubbard’s case with Putin and asked for his freedom. Trump subsequently welcomed the development, saying the release had not required a prisoner exchange.

Who is Stephen Hubbard?

Hubbard is a retired American schoolteacher originally from Big Rapids, Michigan. He spent years teaching English in Japan before moving to Ukraine in 2014, where he lived in the eastern city of Izyum with his Ukrainian partner.

Russian authorities detained Hubbard in April 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian prosecutors alleged that he had joined a Ukrainian territorial defence unit, received military training and weapons, and fought against Russian forces in exchange for payment.

A Moscow court convicted him of mercenary activity in October 2024 and sentenced him to six years and 10 months in prison following a closed trial.

However, Hubbard’s family questioned the accusations, while his US-based lawyer, Martin De Luca, said Hubbard maintained that the charges were false and that he had not served in a combat or military unit.

The US government designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained in January 2025. Washington had also said Russian authorities refused to grant US officials consular access to him.

Release comes amid renewed diplomatic engagement

Hubbard’s freedom coincided with Witkoff’s latest visit to Russia for discussions with Putin about efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

The US envoy had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Norway on Tuesday before travelling to St Petersburg. His discussions with Russian officials were expected to include proposals for restarting negotiations between Moscow, Kyiv and Washington.

The release was not described as part of a broader prisoner swap. According to the Associated Press, Trump said he had personally requested Hubbard’s release during a recent telephone conversation with Putin.

The case also highlights the continuing plight of other Americans held in Russia. Hubbard had been the only US prisoner in Russian custody formally designated by Washington as wrongfully detained at the time of his release.

His freedom is a significant development for his family and in US-Russia relations, although it does not signal a breakthrough in the wider negotiations over Ukraine.

For Hubbard, the immediate priority is returning home after years behind bars. For Washington and Moscow, the diplomatic challenge of resolving the war remains far more complicated.

Source BBC NEWS