American teacher Stephen Hubbard released from Russian prison

On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 74-year-old American citizen Stephen Hubbard was released from custody in Russia and transported to St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport. The release was confirmed by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Hubbard, a retired English teacher originally from Michigan, had been serving a sentence of six years and 10 months following his conviction in a closed-door trial in October 2024 on charges of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine.

Hubbard was initially arrested in April 2022 in Izyum, Ukraine, where he had been living since 2014. Russian prosecutors had alleged that he operated a military checkpoint, while his sister noted he was living on a modest pension with few local connections. The US government designated him as wrongfully detained in January 2025. Following his release, US President Donald Trump stated that no concessions were provided to Russia in exchange for his freedom. Hubbard’s legal counsel, Martin De Luca, described the outcome as a step toward peace, confirming the former teacher is returning to his family.