Russia freed 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard as Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin.
Why it matters: The release adds a potentially significant gesture to US-Russia talks over the war in Ukraine. It could increase pressure for further detainee deals, though the terms remain unclear.
- Hubbard, a retired Michigan teacher, was released on October 21 after more than four years in Russian custody.
- Putin said Hubbard was waiting at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg.
- Donald Trump said the US gave nothing in return; no prisoner swap has been announced.
- Hubbard was sentenced in Russia in 2024 to six years and 10 months after a closed-door trial.
Russia released Stephen Hubbard during US special envoy Steve Witkoff's October 21 meeting with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, according to The Associated Press. Putin said Hubbard was waiting at Pulkovo Airport.
Trump said he had asked Putin to release Hubbard and that the United States gave nothing in return. No reciprocal release or prisoner swap has been publicly announced.
“Because of you, he's going home to his family,” Witkoff told Putin during the meeting. Hubbard, 74, is a retired teacher from Michigan who had been detained in Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion and held for more than four years.
A Russian court sentenced Hubbard in October 2024 to six years and 10 months for allegedly participating as a mercenary for Ukraine. The trial was closed, and the case's evidence and full legal reasoning were not publicly available; the circumstances remain contested and incompletely documented.
Witkoff was also seeking to resume trilateral peace talks involving the US, Russia and Ukraine, while Putin reportedly raised the possibility of meeting Trump in China in mid-November, Axios reported.
The episode differs from the February 2025 release of American teacher Marc Fogel, which was linked to the return of Russian national Alexander Vinnik, according to the White House.
By the numbers
- 74 - Hubbard's age when released
- More than four years - Approximate time Hubbard spent in Russian custody
- 6 years, 10 months - Russian sentence imposed after his 2024 trial
Yes, but: The United States has not independently confirmed Hubbard's legal status or travel itinerary. It is also unclear whether he was pardoned, transferred to US custody or released under another Russian legal mechanism, and whether non-detainee concessions were made.
What's next: Witkoff sought to resume trilateral US-Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Putin reportedly raised a possible meeting with Trump in China in mid-November.