A retired American teacher, Stephen Hubbard, has been released from a Russian prison after serving a sentence for fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.
What happened
Hubbard, a 74-year-old native of Michigan, was sentenced to almost seven years in prison in 2024 on charges of fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. He was alleged to have been paid $1,000 per month to serve in a Ukrainian territorial defense unit.
US President Donald Trump announced Hubbard's release on October 21, after US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to secure his freedom. Witkoff thanked Putin for releasing Hubbard, who was already at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, ready to depart Russia.
Hubbard's release comes after Trump said he had asked Putin to set him free, and it was secured without the United States needing to give anything in return. Trump called it an “unprecedented situation for Russia” and said Hubbard is “on his way back home”.
