Russia | United States | Ukraine War | Diplomacy

Russia has released 74-year-old American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been imprisoned since 2022 after Russian authorities accused him of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Hubbard’s release on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, during a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg. According to reports, Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport awaiting his return to the United States.

The announcement came a day after US President Donald Trump disclosed that he had personally raised Hubbard’s case with Putin and requested his release.

“I’d love to get him back,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday, expressing his desire to see the American return home.

The release represents a significant development in US-Russia relations as the Trump administration continues diplomatic engagements with Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

Who Is Stephen Hubbard?

Hubbard is a retired schoolteacher from Michigan who previously served in the US Air Force and National Guard. He spent many years teaching English in Japan before moving to eastern Ukraine in 2014, according to accounts provided by his family.

He was detained in April 2022 in Izyum, eastern Ukraine, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country.

Russian prosecutors accused Hubbard of joining a Ukrainian territorial defence unit and participating in military activities against Russian forces. A Moscow court convicted him of mercenary activity in a closed-door trial in October 2024 and sentenced him to six years and 10 months in prison.

However, Hubbard’s US-based lawyer, Martin De Luca, previously told Reuters that his client maintained the accusations were false and that he had not participated in combat or served in a military unit.

The circumstances surrounding his detention and the allegations against him have remained disputed.

Trump’s Intervention and Russia’s Response

Trump publicly confirmed on October 20 that he had discussed Hubbard’s detention with Putin and had asked the Russian leader to release him.

The following day, Putin announced the release during his meeting with Witkoff, who thanked the Russian president for the decision.

The timing places Hubbard’s release within a broader diplomatic effort involving Washington and Moscow, with discussions also focused on possible approaches to ending the war in Ukraine.

However, neither government had publicly provided full details of the arrangements behind Hubbard’s release at the time of the announcement. It was therefore unclear whether any formal agreement or reciprocal concession had been involved.

A Long Detention

Hubbard’s case attracted international attention because of his age, the length of his detention and concerns raised by his family and supporters.

In January 2025, the US government formally designated him as wrongfully detained, a status that enabled Washington to pursue additional diplomatic measures on his behalf.

His family had also expressed concerns about his treatment and welfare while in Russian custody.

His release follows other cases involving Americans detained in Russia, where negotiations, humanitarian appeals and prisoner exchanges have periodically resulted in detainees returning home.

What the Release Means for US-Russia Relations

Hubbard’s release comes at a sensitive point in relations among the United States, Russia and Ukraine.

Washington and Moscow continue to engage over the war, while disagreements remain over territorial issues, security guarantees and the conditions required for a lasting settlement.

The release may provide a positive diplomatic development for the two governments, but it does not, by itself, establish that broader disagreements have been resolved.

For the United States, the case demonstrates the importance of diplomatic engagement in securing the return of detained citizens. For Russia, the announcement provides an opportunity to present the release as a goodwill gesture during high-level talks.

Further details about Hubbard’s journey home and the circumstances of his release remained limited in the initial reports.

Note: Stephen Hubbard’s release marks the end of a lengthy and contested detention in Russia. Although Trump’s appeal preceded the announcement, the full terms of the decision have not been publicly established. The development is significant for Hubbard and his family, while its wider implications for US-Russia relations and the war in Ukraine remain to be seen.

Sources: New York Post