Putin releases American prisoner after 4 years, following request
Published: 09:52 AM, 21 October 2026
American citizen Stephen Hubbard has been released after being held in Russia for more than four years. He had been detained on charges of participating in the war in Ukraine as a mercenary. Russian state media confirmed his release following a visit to St. Petersburg by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Citing Russian state news agencies, U.S. media reported that Hubbard—a retired teacher from Michigan—had been classified by the U.S. State Department as "wrongfully detained." U.S. President Donald Trump stated last Tuesday that he had raised the issue of Hubbard during a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Following Hubbard’s release, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff thanked Putin. According to U.S. officials, this release reflects President Trump’s ongoing efforts to bring American citizens home.
After spending decades abroad working as an English teacher, Hubbard began living in the city of Izyum in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The city was seized by the Russian military during the early stages of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russian prosecutors alleged that Hubbard fought in Izyum as a contract soldier for a monthly payment of approximately $1,000. However, his sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, has dismissed these allegations as entirely false.
Although Hubbard has been released, several other American citizens remain imprisoned in Russia. Previously, in August, Russia released former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman—who was suffering from a serious illness—on humanitarian grounds.
Others, including Andrei Khachaturyan (of Armenian descent), David Burns (from Texas), Alexander Antonov, Olga Zezler, and former U.S. Navy member Chuck Zimmerman, remain in Russian prisons. The United States considers the charges brought against them to be unjust. A U.S. State Department spokesperson has expressed hope that the release of Hubbard and Gilman will pave the way for the swift return of other U.S. citizens who are being wrongfully detained in Russia.
