Russia Frees American Citizen Stephen Hubbard After Over 4 Years Behind Bars
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard from a Russian prison on Wednesday. Hubbard had been imprisoned for over four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
Hubbard's release comes after a plea from former US President Donald Trump, who had been negotiating with Putin for his release. Hubbard was transferred to a detention complex in the Mordovia region, east of Moscow, before being freed. The US State Department had designated Hubbard's capture as wrongful in January 2025, allowing for government officials to start negotiations for his release.
Hubbard, a veteran of the US Air Force and National Guard, was accompanied by US envoy Steve Witkoff at the airport, awaiting a ride back to the US. Witkoff met with Putin in St. Petersburg to discuss trade talks between the two countries to end the war in Ukraine. Hubbard's release marks the end of his nearly five-year ordeal and the last of the officially declared wrongfully detained Americans to be released from Russian captivity.
