Russia frees Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired Michigan teacher held since 2022

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan, on Wednesday as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.

Hubbard had lived in eastern Ukraine since around 2014, teaching English, according to his family. Russian forces detained him there in April 2022, and he was later sentenced to nearly seven years in prison on charges of fighting for Ukraine as a mercenary. His family and U.S. officials say the charges were false, and the State Department had designated him as wrongfully detained.

According to a Kremlin readout, Hubbard was taken to Pulkovo Airport. He was expected to be flown to San Antonio, where released Americans usually receive medical care. President Trump, who said he had asked Putin for the release in a phone call the week before, wrote that the United States gave nothing in return and that no prisoner swap was needed.

Witkoff and Putin also discussed possibly resuming three-way talks among the United States, Russia and Ukraine. Hubbard’s sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, thanked Trump and said she learned of the release from news reports.