The 74-year-old had
been detained since 2022 and convicted on mercenary charges. Washington
considered his detention unjust.
Russia released American citizen Stephen Hubbard on
Wednesday, who had been in Russian custody since April 2022, when he was
arrested in the Ukrainian city of Izium, according to Russian authorities and
international media.
The release came after President Donald Trump directly
requested his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to allow Hubbard's return to
the United States. The announcement was made during a meeting in St. Petersburg
between Putin and Steve Witkoff, the White House special envoy.
Hubbard, a retired professor originally from Michigan, is 74
years old and had been sentenced in Russia to six years and ten months in
prison on charges related to mercenary activities. Russian authorities accused
him of fighting on the Ukrainian side, but his family and lawyer disputed the
accusations, maintaining that he had not participated in any military
operations.
In January 2025, the U.S. government declared him wrongfully
detained, a designation that allows Washington to intensify diplomatic efforts
to secure the release of American citizens.
Trump confirmed that he had discussed the case with Putin
during a phone call the previous week. The president asserted that a prisoner
exchange was not necessary to secure Hubbard's release.
Following the announcement, Witkoff thanked Putin for the
decision and noted that Hubbard was on his way to reunite with his family in
the United States.
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