A 74-year-old American teacher, Stephen Hubbard, has been released from Russian custody after President Donald Trump personally intervened with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
What happened
Hubbard, a retired schoolteacher from Michigan, was detained by Russian troops in April 2022 and spent over four years in custody on mercenary charges. His family and lawyer maintained that the charges were false and that he was wrongly detained.
According to US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hubbard was released from Russian custody on Wednesday and was waiting at a St. Petersburg airport for his flight back to the United States. Trump stated that he had made the request to Putin during a phone call last week and that no prisoner swap was needed.
Hubbard's release marks the third time an American prisoner has been freed by Russia during Trump's second term. The teacher, who is in poor health, will be flown to Texas for treatment at a military hospital.
