Russia on Wednesday released American citizen Stephen Hubbard, a retired teacher from Michigan who had been imprisoned on charges of fighting as a mercenary alongside Ukrainian forces, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.
Hubbard, who had been detained for more than four years, was sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in prison following a closed trial. The US government under former President Joe Biden had designated him as wrongfully detained.
Witkoff thanked Putin for the release, telling him, "Because of you, he's going home to his family." Putin said Hubbard was at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport following his release.
The development came after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he had raised Hubbard's case with Putin. Ahead of Witkoff's visit, a US official said the envoy was expected to seek Hubbard's release as part of Trump's efforts to bring detained Americans home.
Hubbard spent decades working abroad as an English teacher before moving to the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum in 2014. The city was occupied by Russian forces at the beginning of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian prosecutors alleged that Hubbard had signed a contract with the Ukrainian military for approximately $1,000 a month and fought alongside its forces until his capture two months later, according to Russian state media. His sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, rejected the accusation, describing it as a lie.
Hubbard's release comes amid continuing diplomatic efforts to improve relations between Washington and Moscow and bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, which will enter its fifth year in February.
The release also comes at a sensitive moment in US relations with Ukraine, as the Trump administration pursues policies that have drawn scrutiny over their potential benefits to Moscow.
Trump recently waived sanctions on Russia under legislation passed by Congress to support Ukraine. The bill, named after late South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, targeted financial flows supporting Russia's war effort. Trump also announced a deal to import Russian diesel fuel in an effort to curb high fuel prices ahead of next month's US midterm elections.
Witkoff has sought to advance negotiations to end the war, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Washington and European allies to accelerate peace efforts.
In August, US Marine veteran Robert Gilman was released from Russian detention on humanitarian grounds amid serious concerns about his health. He was reportedly severely emaciated when he returned to the United States aboard a specialised medical aircraft. An organisation campaigning for his release alleged that he had been tortured during his detention.
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)