The headline out of St. Petersburg on Wednesday was one the Hubbard family had waited more than four years to read: Stephen Hubbard released Russia β the retired American teacher walked out of a Russian prison and into the company of a U.S. envoy, after a direct plea from President Donald Trump.
Trump made the ask himself. On Tuesday at the White House he told reporters, "I've been talking to President Putin about Mr. Hubbard. I've been talking to him at length. I've asked him to release him. Let's see what happens." By Wednesday, the answer was on camera: Hubbard standing and walking at Pulkovo airport, shaking hands with special envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump later shared a photo of Hubbard aboard a plane bound for the United States.
Stephen Hubbard Released Russia: Trump's Direct Plea to Putin
Trump said he raised Hubbard's case in a phone call with Putin last week β no strings attached. The State Department confirmed the release was not part of an exchange and that Washington gave up nothing in return, a point Trump pressed hard on Truth Social.
"The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return," he wrote. "This major return should have taken place long ago through the Biden Administration, which got nowhere in its negotiations with the Kremlin." Then, a warmer line: "Welcome home Stephen, it's great to have you back."
His envoy drove the point home in St. Petersburg. "I wanted to thank you very much. The president sends his thanks. Our whole nation sends its thanks," Witkoff told Putin. "Because of you, he's going home to his family."
Who Is Stephen Hubbard?
Hubbard, 74, is a retired Michigan schoolteacher who also served in the U.S. Air Force and National Guard. His family says he'd lived in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum since 2014 β long before the full-scale invasion β when Russian forces swept into Kharkiv in April 2022 and seized him from his home.
It happened just over a month after the invasion, during the week Russian troops occupied that part of Kharkiv. In the space of days, the retiree went from a quiet life in Izyum to a Russian prison system his family feared would kill him.
The Mercenary Charges His Family Called Fiction
Russian prosecutors claimed he'd signed a contract with a Ukrainian territorial defense unit, allegedly promised $1,000 a month. In October 2024, a closed-door court convicted him of mercenary activity and sentenced him to nearly seven years.
His family and the U.S. State Department rejected every word of it. Washington formally declared him a wrongfully detained American β a designation reserved for U.S. citizens it believes are held abroad on fabricated charges.
How the Release Went Down at Pulkovo Airport
The Stephen Hubbard released Russia announcement came as Witkoff sat across from Putin in a grand imperial palace in St. Petersburg, in talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. A video shared with CNN and Reuters showed Witkoff and Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev meeting Hubbard at the airport. Clean-shaven in a dark fleece, Hubbard shook Witkoff's hand: "Thank you very much for all your efforts."
Witkoff's reply was short and human: "from today is a new life for you."
The envoy's praise for Putin raised eyebrows back in Washington. "You talk so much about my president β President Trump β being a humanitarian," Witkoff told the Russian leader across the table. "You also are a humanitarian, also, sir, and I salute that, I commend you and I thank you." Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin freed Hubbard at Trump's request and had taken the American's poor health into account.
Hubbard's son, Joseph Coleman, told Reuters he spoke briefly with his father by phone before the plane left Russia. "Today he seemed light in his step, a sense of happiness in his voice," Coleman said.
What Happens Next for Stephen Hubbard
Hubbard's health has been his family's biggest worry for years. Three former prisoners held in the same jail said his health declined under poor treatment. He's expected to land in Washington on Wednesday evening before heading to a Texas military hospital and rehabilitation center, according to CBS News and his U.S.-based lawyer, Martin De Luca.
De Luca thanked Trump, Witkoff and other U.S. officials for securing the release, calling it "a dividend earned along the hard road to peace." The Trump administration says it will keep working for the release of all Americans it considers unjustly detained in Russia.
The Bigger Picture: Trump, Putin, and Ukraine
The Stephen Hubbard released Russia moment lands at a tense point in U.S.βUkraine relations. Kyiv has accused Washington of limiting missile intelligence sharing, slowing vital Starlink services, and delaying weapons. Last week, Trump waived Russia sanctions Congress had overwhelmingly passed to support Ukraine β legislation named for the late Senator Lindsey Graham β drawing bipartisan criticism.
Trump tied the release to his own negotiating posture, saying the talks would have stopped cold had he imposed planned sanctions on Moscow. Around the same time, his administration announced a deal to import Russian diesel fuel, an effort to curb gas prices ahead of next month's U.S. midterms. Kyiv, meanwhile, argues recent U.S. moves have rewarded Putin even as the war grinds on.
Sources and Resources
- CNN β Russia frees 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard captured in occupied Ukraine
- Al Jazeera β Russia releases American Stephen Hubbard after four years in prison
- New York Post β Russia frees imprisoned US citizen Stephen Hubbard after plea from Trump
- The Straits Times β Russia frees retired US school teacher Stephen Hubbard as Putin meets Witkoff
FAQs
Who exactly is Stephen Hubbard?
He's a 74-year-old retired Michigan schoolteacher and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and National Guard. His family says he'd lived in Izyum since 2014 β years before the war β and had nothing to do with the fighting when Russian troops detained him in April 2022.
Why was he locked up in Russia?
Moscow accused him of signing up as a mercenary with a Ukrainian territorial defense unit for about $1,000 a month. A closed-door Russian court convicted him in October 2024 and sentenced him to nearly seven years. His family and the State Department called the charges fabricated; the U.S. declared him wrongfully detained.
How did Trump get him released?
Trump says he raised Hubbard's case directly with Putin in a phone call last week and asked him to let the American go. The Stephen Hubbard released Russia announcement came Wednesday from special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, where he met Hubbard at the airport. No prisoner swap was needed β the State Department said Russia released him unilaterally with zero U.S. concessions.
Where is Hubbard headed now?
He's flying home β a photo shared by Trump showed him aboard the plane. He's expected to land in Washington before traveling to a Texas military hospital and rehabilitation center for treatment. His family had voiced serious concerns about his health after years in a Russian prison.
Does this mean U.S.βRussia relations are improving?
It's complicated. The release came as Trump waived some Russia sanctions and cut a Russian diesel fuel deal β moves Kyiv views as rewarding Moscow. Trump said the talks would have halted had he imposed planned sanctions. Washington got a win, but the war is still raging and ties with Kyiv are strained.
Conclusion
The Stephen Hubbard released Russia story closes a four-and-a-half-year ordeal that began with a knock on a door in occupied Izyum and a courtroom conviction his family never believed. No swap. No concessions. One phone call, one envoy, one plane ride home. For the retired teacher from Michigan, the next stop is a hospital bed in Texas β and the first free night in years.
For more on U.S. diplomacy and Americans freed abroad, follow our U.S. news desk β the Stephen Hubbard released Russia story is the latest in a long line of hard-won releases, and the Stephen Hubbard released Russia case will be remembered as one of the most emotional homecomings of the year.
Stay with us for full Stephen Hubbard released Russia follow-ups: the Stephen Hubbard released Russia flight home, the Stephen Hubbard released Russia family reunion in Texas, and what the Stephen Hubbard released Russia deal means for other Americans still detained abroad β all in our U.S. news section, where the Stephen Hubbard released Russia story continues with live updates on the Stephen Hubbard released Russia homecoming and the Stephen Hubbard released Russia medical evaluation.