US Citizen Freed as Russia Agrees to Resume Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Diplomatic Push

American Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan, has been released by Russia after more than four years of imprisonment. Hubbard was captured in April 2022 in Izyum, Ukraine, following Russia's full-scale invasion, and subsequently charged with fighting as a mercenary, a claim his family and the U.S. State Department maintain was fabricated. He was sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in a penal colony. The U.S. government had designated him as wrongfully detained.

His release on October 21, 2026, occurred during a visit by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff to St. Petersburg, Russia, where he held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated he had requested Hubbard's freedom from Putin in a recent phone call. Notably, this release did not involve a prisoner swap, an aspect highlighted by Trump.

Hubbard is reportedly on his way back to the United States to be reunited with his family. His release marks a significant moment amidst ongoing diplomatic engagements between U.S. and Russian officials, with envoy Witkoff also discussing the broader Ukraine conflict.