Stephen Hubbard, Michigan teacher who had been jailed in Russia, is freed
Russia releases detained American Stephen Hubbard
U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff says Russia has released Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher who been imprisoned on changes of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. The news coming after Witkoff met with Russia's President Vladimir in St. Petersburg.
Stephen Hubbard, a Michigan teacher who had been jailed in Russia, has been freed and is on his way home.
Stephen Hubbard freed
Big picture view:
Russia has released American Stephen Hubbard, who was jailed for over four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.
Hubbard had been sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in prison.
Local perspective:
Hubbard is a 74-year-old former teacher from Michigan.
Hubbard grew up in Big Rapids, Michigan, according to Reuters, and served in the US Air Force and National Guard, according to military records cited by the New York Times.
Reuters also reported that his sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, had previously shared that Hubbard earned a master’s degree in English and lived in Japan for 25 years where he taught English before moving to Cyprus and then, in 2014, to Izyum in eastern Ukraine with a Ukrainian partner.
He’s on his way back home following a visit to St. Petersburg by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
The backstory:
Prosecutors said he had signed a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, and that he fought alongside Kyiv's forces until being captured two months later. The U.S. government under the Biden administration designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained.
Hubbard’s release comes as President Donald Trump advances policies that aid Putin, including waiving sanctions on Russia.
His release appeared to be a goodwill gesture by the Kremlin after Trump asked Putin to free him.
Other Americans, including some with serious illnesses, remain jailed in Russia. Hubbard was the only one designated as wrongfully detained, although advocates say that label should be applied to other prisoners.
What they're saying:
Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call last week to free Stephen Hubbard, and that, unlike previous releases, his had not required the U.S. to give up anyone in return.
"Welcome home, Stephen, it’s great to have you back," Trump said.
Witkoff, a key Trump administration figure who has tried without success to steer Russia and Ukraine toward a settlement to end a war that will hit the five-year mark in February 2027, thanked Putin for releasing Hubbard, telling him, "Because of you, he's going home to his family."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media on Wednesday that Hubbard’s release was "raised by the American side for a certain time," and Putin decided to free the man out of "humanitarian considerations."
US talks with Russia
Meanwhile:
Witkoff is also holding talks with Putin about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and Trump is pushing Kyiv to make a deal that stops the fighting.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from The Associated Press, Reuters and the New York Times. A Truth Social post from President Donald Trump was also cited.