Russia has released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American citizen who spent more than four years in detention over allegations that he fought as a mercenary for Ukraine, with US President Donald Trump saying the retired teacher is on his way home to reunite with his family.
Trump announced Hubbard’s release on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, saying it followed a direct request to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephone conversation the previous week.
“Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family,” Trump said in a social media post.
Hubbard, a retired teacher from Michigan, had been designated by the US State Department as wrongfully detained. His release was described by Russian state media as a humanitarian decision by Putin.
Trump said the US did not provide anything in exchange for Hubbard’s freedom, attributing the decision to Putin’s respect for the US president. However, Trump also suggested that negotiations could have stalled had he not waived sanctions on Russia the previous week, a decision that attracted criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.
Hubbard’s son, Joseph Coleman, thanked Trump and other US officials for their efforts to secure his father’s release.
“Never once did we waver as we prayed for success in these negotiations, and we must acknowledge that this humanitarian move by President Putin in this matter is deeply appreciated,” Coleman said.
US envoy Steve Witkoff also expressed gratitude to Putin during a meeting, saying the American president and the wider US population appreciated the decision to allow Hubbard to return to his family.
Putin said Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, where Witkoff had also landed earlier on Wednesday. CNN said it could not immediately independently confirm Hubbard’s whereabouts.
Why Russia Detained Stephen Hubbard
Hubbard spent decades working abroad as an English teacher before moving to Izyum, a city in eastern Ukraine, in 2014.
Russian forces occupied the city at the beginning of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russian prosecutors subsequently alleged that Hubbard had signed a contract to fight for the Ukrainian military in exchange for approximately $1,000 a month.
His sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, rejected the allegation, describing it as false.
Hubbard’s release comes as the Trump administration continues efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, amid tensions over Washington’s relationship with Kyiv and its approach to Moscow.
Several Americans Still Held in Russia
Hubbard is the latest American to be released from Russian detention amid continuing concerns over the treatment and imprisonment of US citizens in the country.
In August, Robert Gilman, a former US Marine, was released on humanitarian grounds amid serious concerns about his health. He returned to the United States on a specialised medical aircraft after reportedly suffering severe weight loss in detention. An organisation advocating on his behalf alleged that he had been tortured while imprisoned.
Several other Americans and US residents remain in Russian custody, according to the Foley Foundation, an organisation that advocates for hostages and wrongful detainees.
They include Andre Khachatoorian, an American of Armenian descent who was detained in 2021 and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison on arms-trafficking charges he denies.
David Barnes was arrested in 2022 following allegations made by his former wife, who had taken their sons from Texas to Russia. According to the Foley Foundation, Texas officials had previously disproved the abuse allegations.
Aleksander Antonov, a naturalised American citizen who arrived in the United States as a Soviet refugee, was arrested in 2025 while attempting to cross from Russia into Estonia. He was sentenced to six years in prison on charges involving the incitement of terrorism and extremism, according to the foundation.
Olga Jezler, a permanent US resident, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2022 after being arrested on drug-trafficking charges. Her advocates maintain that she was carrying legal cannabidiol (CBD) oil for her sister, who was receiving treatment for breast cancer, and that Russian prosecutors misclassified the substance as hashish oil.
Another case involves Chuck Zimmerman, whom supporters describe as a US Navy veteran intercepted by the Russian navy while sailing in international waters. He was reportedly charged with arms trafficking after a firearm was found aboard his vessel.
