On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 74-year-old Michigan veteran Stephen Hubbard was released from a Russian prison following a direct request from President Donald Trump. The release was facilitated by US envoy Steve Witkoff during a diplomatic visit to St. Petersburg.
The direct phone call between Trump and Putin
President Donald Trump secured the release of Stephen Hubbard through a personal telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. According to the report, Trump announced that the release was granted out of respect for the US President, noting that Russia did not demand any prisoner swap in return for Hubbard's freedom.
Trump used the announcement to criticize the previous administration, claiming that the Biden administration should have secured Hubbard's release much earlier. Hubbard, a veteran of both the US Air Force and the National Guard from Big Rapids,Michigan, had been held by Russian authorities for four years.
From a 2022 detention to a 2024 mercenary conviction
Stephen Hubbard’s legal troubles began in April 2022, when he was detained by Russian forces while living in eastern Ukraine with a Ukrainian partner. the report states that Hubbard was convicted in October 2024 of acting as a mercenary, receiving a sentence of six years and 10 months in prison.
Prosecutors alleged that Hubbard signed a contract with the Ukrainian military and fought alongside them until his capture. However, the US government under the Biden administration had previously designated Hubbard as a wrongfully detained citizen, and the advocacy group Hostage Aid Worldwide has characterized the Russian charges as "bogus." Hubbard's sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, had previously warned that her brother was facing torture and starvation while in Russian custody.
Steve Witkoff’s diplomatic mission in St. Petersburg
US envoy Steve Witkoff played a central role in the logistics of the release, meeting with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg to thank him for the decision. As reported by the source, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev met Witkoff at Pulkovo airport to facilitate the process once Hubbard was cleared for departure.
This release occurs during a period of high tension between the United States and Russia, marked by shifting policies regarding drone support for Ukraine and Trump's recent proposal to import Russian diesel fuel to lower energy costs. Witkoff has been working to steer both nations toward a settlement, though the diplomatic landscape reains volatile.
What remains for the two dozen Americans still in Russia?
While Hubbard is the second American detainee freed by Russia in just over two months, significant uncertainty remains for other US citizens held abroad . The Foley Foundation, a hostage advocacy organization, reports that approximately two dozen Americans remain imprisoned in Russia for various reasons.
It remains unclear whether Hubbard's release—achieved without a formal prisoner exchange—will serve as a template for future negotiations or if it was a singular gesture of goodwill. Additionally, the specific legal status and safety of the remaining 24 Americans held by the Kremlin continue to be a major point of concern for US diplomats and advocacy groups.
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