Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired U.S. school teacher, has been released from Russian custody. President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that Hubbard, a U.S. citizen, was at St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport following his release.
Hubbard had been held in Russia since 2022 after being taken captive by Russian forces in Ukraine, where he had lived for years. During his detention, he was held on mercenary charges.
The release was confirmed by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and described by Moscow as a goodwill gesture. The move is seen as a sign of warmer ties with the Kremlin as Washington pressures Kyiv to agree to a deal that ends Moscow’s war.