Russia has released American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been serving a prison sentence after being convicted of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, following intervention by US President Donald Trump.
US envoy Steve Witkoff announced Hubbard’s release on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, saying the 74-year-old was at an airport in St Petersburg awaiting transportation as arrangements were made for his return to the United States.
Witkoff, who was in Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin, thanked the Russian leader for releasing Hubbard, saying the American president and the US nation appreciated the decision.
Trump had disclosed on Tuesday that he had been negotiating with Putin to secure Hubbard’s release, saying he had repeatedly asked the Russian president to free the retired teacher.
Hubbard, a Michigan native who previously served in the US Air Force and National Guard, had been in Russian custody since April 2022, when Russian forces detained him in the Ukrainian city of Izyum, where he had been living since 2014.
Russian authorities accused him of joining a Ukrainian territorial defence unit as a mercenary and receiving payment for fighting against Russian forces. Hubbard was convicted in a closed trial in October 2024 and sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison.
His family disputed the accusations, describing him as a pacifist who had no history of handling firearms. His sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, previously told Reuters that he was not a military-minded person and had never owned a gun.
The US State Department designated Hubbard’s detention as wrongful in January 2025, paving the way for American officials to pursue negotiations for his release.
According to reports, Hubbard is expected to travel to Texas, where he will receive medical treatment at a military hospital. His release comes as Washington and Moscow continue discussions on efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Hubbard had been among the Americans held in Russian custody over the conflict, with his case drawing attention because of his age, health concerns and disputed conviction.
