Russia released Stephen Hubbard on October 21, 2026. He is a 74-year-old retired American English teacher from Michigan who had been detained since 2022.
Hubbard was living in the Ukrainian city of Izium when the war began and was captured by Russian forces. In 2024, a Russian court sentenced him to nearly seven years in a penal colony after accusing him of acting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
Hubbard, his family, and his legal team denied the allegations. The Biden administration had formally designated him as wrongfully detained.
His release followed direct diplomatic pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump and an in-person meeting in St. Petersburg between U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Officials stated the release was granted on humanitarian grounds without a formal prisoner swap, coinciding with the U.S. lifting certain Russian sanctions and agreeing to purchase Russian diesel.
Hubbard is expected to be flown to Texas for medical evaluation due to his deteriorating health. The breakthrough occurred amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to push for a peace settlement, with Putin indicating that Moscow is prepared to rejoin talks to end the conflict.
Why He Was Arrested
Russian authorities arrested Stephen Hubbard on charges of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine. Prosecutors alleged that he signed a contract with a Ukrainian regional territorial defense unit in February 2022, underwent military training, received weapons, and was promised a monthly salary of $1,000 to man a checkpoint in Izium.
Russian state media claimed he pleaded guilty, though his family, lawyer, and the U.S. government fiercely disputed the charges. His sister noted that he held pro-Russian views, was a pacifist who never owned a gun, and was far too old to take up arms. His lawyer stated that Russian soldiers simply grabbed him from his home.
Hometown in Michigan
Hubbard grew up and spent his formative years in Big Rapids, Michigan, a small city located in the west-central part of the state's Lower Peninsula.
More Details on His Life and Captivity
Hubbard is a U.S. military veteran who briefly served in the Air Force and National Guard as a young man. He later earned a master's degree in English and spent 25 years teaching English in Japan, where he also joined the Russian Orthodox Church.
After a period living in Cyprus, he moved to Izium, Ukraine, in 2014 with a Ukrainian partner and subsisted on a small monthly pension while teaching English online.
Following his capture in April 2022, he was shuffled through at least five different Russian detention facilities. During his four years of captivity, his sister reported that he endured beatings and starvation, leaving him with an enlarged heart and severe health issues.
Upon his release, he was immediately flown to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, for urgent medical evaluation at a military hospital.
Sources:
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/who-is-stephen-hubbard-us-citizen-released-by-russia-2026-10-21/
The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/21/world/europe/who-stephen-hubbard-american-russia-prisoner-release.html
CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-stephen-hubbard-freed-american-ukraine-war-witkoff-putin/
