Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old U.S. citizen who had been jailed in Russia for more than four years after being accused of fighting for Ukraine, has been released from custody. The announcement was confirmed by President Donald Trump on Wednesday and coincided with a meeting in St. Petersburg between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The news of the release was shared as the Trump administration delegation, including Witkoff, held high-level talks with Putin and other senior Russian officials regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine.
President Trump stated in social media posts that the release was secured at his personal request, following a direct telephone conversation with President Putin held last week. According to Trump, the release was granted out of respect for him, and notably, "no 'swap' was necessary," marking an unprecedented development in the context of recent prisoner exchanges. Trump also suggested that the American would not have been freed had the White House not stopped new sanctions against Russia from taking effect last week. This decision to waive certain sanctions had been praised by Putin but faced harsh criticism from members of Congress, including some Republicans.
During the meeting in St. Petersburg, video footage captured Steve Witkoff expressing gratitude to the Russian president. Witkoff thanked Putin for the release of Hubbard, whom the U.S. government had officially declared wrongfully detained. In a moment of public exchange, Witkoff offered effusive praise to the Russian leader, who initiated the full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly five years ago, by calling him "a humanitarian." Witkoff told Putin, "I wanted to thank you very much. The president sends his thanks. Our whole nation sends it's thanks. Because of you, he's going home to his family." He further added, "You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian, you are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that."
Hubbard, a native of Michigan and a retired school teacher who previously served in the U.S. National Guard and Air Force, was captured in Ukraine shortly after the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022. He was accused by Russian authorities of manning a checkpoint for mercenaries and was sentenced in 2024 to almost seven years in a penal colony. His family has consistently maintained his innocence throughout his detention, during which they had minimal contact with him. Russian state media reported, citing President Putin, that Hubbard was located at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport following his release. Due to his poor health, Hubbard is expected to be transported to Texas for medical treatment at a military hospital.
Hubbard’s release marks the end of his status as the last American officially declared wrongfully detained by the State Department in Russia. However, as many as 10 other U.S. citizens, including those with dual nationality, remain in Russian custody. The State Department continues to maintain a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for Russia, citing significant risks of wrongful detention, arbitrary law enforcement, and limited consular assistance. While the Trump administration established a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" designation last year to allow for expanded sanctions against countries using Americans as political leverage, Russia has not yet faced this designation, which has been applied to Iran and Afghanistan.
The release follows the August return of American Robert Gilman, a former Marine who was granted a humanitarian pardon after his health reached a life-threatening condition following a direct appeal from Trump. Earlier in 2024, journalist Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan were among those released in a complex multi-country prisoner swap, and school teacher Marc Fogel was released early last year. Despite these developments, other Americans remain imprisoned in Russia without the "wrongfully detained" designation, such as Aleksandr Antonov, whose family has urged the State Department to prioritize his case amid internal debates over his status.
