Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American teacher from Michigan who was imprisoned in Russia on accusations of fighting for Ukrainian forces, has been released in what has been described as a goodwill gesture by the Kremlin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Hubbard’s release on October 21 at the start of his latest round of talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. The discussions focused on negotiations to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Putin said Hubbard, whom Washington had designated as wrongfully detained, was at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg and would return to the United States with Witkoff.
US President Donald Trump subsequently confirmed the release, saying Hubbard would soon be reunited with his family.
“Welcome home, Stephen. Glad you’re back,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The release came hours after Trump said he had raised Hubbard’s case directly with Putin during their recent discussions.
Hubbard Was Sentenced to Nearly Seven Years in Prison
Russian forces detained Hubbard in April 2022, shortly after the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In October 2024, the Moscow City Court sentenced him to six years and 10 months in prison on mercenary charges.
Russian prosecutors alleged that Hubbard had signed a contract worth $1,000 a month to fight for Ukraine’s territorial defence forces in the Kharkiv region, an area partly occupied by Russian troops at the time.
Hubbard’s family, particularly his sister Patricia Fox, previously questioned the allegations. Fox said her brother had long been sympathetic toward Russia and moved to Ukraine in 2014.
According to Fox, Hubbard was living in the city of Izium after separating from his Ukrainian girlfriend when the war began.
She also pointed to a video published in May 2022 in which Hubbard discussed the conflict. In the recording, he claimed Ukrainian forces had shelled Izium for “propaganda purposes” and expressed understanding for Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.
The circumstances under which the video was recorded remain unclear, raising questions about whether Hubbard may have been pressured to make the statements. No public account has fully explained the circumstances of his arrest or how he was transferred to Moscow.
Prisoners Remain a Point of Tension Between Washington and Moscow
The detention of American citizens in Russia has become a prominent issue in US-Russian relations, with rights advocates and officials raising concerns that some cases are used as leverage in broader geopolitical disputes.
Several high-profile detainees, including Paul Whelan, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Alsu Kurmasheva and Evan Gershkovich, were released in a major prisoner exchange on August 1, 2024.
Hubbard’s release comes ahead of the US midterm elections in November and amid prolonged negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv over ending the war. The two sides remain far apart on the terms of a potential settlement, while the Kremlin continues to maintain its demands.
Under both Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, Washington and Moscow have conducted several major prisoner exchanges. However, other American citizens reportedly remain in Russian custody.
According to Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer at advocacy group Global Reach, at least five Americans remained detained in Russia, while other reports have put the number at around 10. The precise number and status of remaining detainees were not established in the report.
