Russia frees US citizen Stephen Hubbard, state media reports

Russia has released 74-year-old US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been jailed after being accused of fighting for Ukraine. The announcement came as President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, amid wider discussions about relations between Washington, Moscow and Kyiv.

Hubbard, a former teacher from Michigan, was sentenced to nearly seven years in a penal colony in 2024 after Russian forces captured him in Izyum in 2022. Donald Trump said he had asked Putin directly for Hubbard’s release and that no prisoner swap was needed; US media reported Hubbard was in poor health and expected to travel to Texas for treatment. The meeting also covered a diesel export agreement, peace efforts following Witkoff’s talks in Oslo, and other economic and diplomatic issues.