American Teacher Stephen Hubbard Freed From Russian Detention After High-Level Diplomatic Efforts

Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher from Michigan who spent more than four years in Russian custody on mercenary charges tied to the war in Ukraine, has been released. His freedom followed a visit to St. Petersburg by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the latest diplomatic push by the Trump administration to bring detained Americans home.

Hubbard, designated as wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department, was released after Witkoff’s trip to Russia’s second-largest city. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he had raised Hubbard’s case directly with Putin. Following the meeting, Witkoff thanked Putin for the release. Putin said during the meeting that Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, the same airport where Witkoff had landed earlier on Wednesday.

CNN has asked the U.S. State Department for comment. Before the Moscow trip, a U.S. official said the special envoy’s visit was “expected to include efforts to seek the release of wrongfully detained American citizen Hubbard, reflecting President Trump’s continued commitment to bringing Americans home.”

From Michigan Classroom to Russian Prison: Hubbard’s Background

Hubbard spent decades abroad working as an English teacher. He moved to Izyum, an eastern Ukrainian city, in 2014. The city was occupied by Russian forces when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to Russian state media, prosecutors alleged that Hubbard fought in Izyum after signing a contract worth roughly $1,000 per month.

His sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, rejected the accusation, calling it a lie. Family members have maintained that Hubbard was not a combatant and should not have been imprisoned on mercenary charges.

Mercenary Charges Rejected by Family as Legal Questions Persist

The mercenary allegations became the foundation of Hubbard’s long detention in Russia. His case illustrates the vulnerability of Americans living or traveling in Russia amid deeply strained U.S.-Russia relations. While the State Department has classified him as wrongfully detained, Russian authorities pursued criminal charges that kept him behind bars for years.

Hubbard is the latest American to be freed from Russian detention. His release comes amid continuing diplomatic contacts between Washington and Moscow, though the broader fate of other detained Americans remains unresolved.

Robert Gilman’s Release and the Pattern of Freed American Detainees

In August, Marine veteran Robert Gilman was released from Russian detention for humanitarian reasons amid severe concerns about his health. Gilman arrived back in the United States on a specialized medical plane, severely emaciated. The organization advocating on his behalf said he had been tortured in Russian detention.

A State Department spokesperson said after Gilman’s release that officials hoped it “leads to the release of Americans unjustly held in Russia.” Hubbard’s freedom appears to answer at least part of that hope, even as other cases remain open.

Other Americans Still Held in Russian Custody

Many Americans remain imprisoned in Russia, according to advocacy groups and family members:

• Andre Khachatoorian was detained in 2021 and sentenced to eight and a half years for arms trafficking, charges he denies. Khachatoorian, an American of Armenian descent, was arrested while traveling from the United States to Armenia via Moscow.
• David Barnes was arrested in 2022. According to the Foley Foundation, which advocates for American hostages and wrongful detainees, he was detained after his ex-wife, who kidnapped his sons from Texas to Russia, made allegations of abuse that had already been disproven twice by Texas officials.
• Aleksander Antonov, who came to the United States as a Soviet refugee and has since become a naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested in 2025 when attempting to cross the border from Russia into Estonia. According to the Foley Foundation, he was accused of “anti-Russian sentiment” and sentenced to six years for inciting terrorism and extremism.
• Olga Jezler, a permanent U.S. resident, was arrested for drug trafficking and sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2022. According to the Foley Foundation, she was carrying legal CBD oil into Russia for her sister, who was struggling with breast cancer, and Russian prosecutors deliberately misclassified the substance as hashish oil.
• Chuck Zimmerman, described by supporters as a Navy veteran, was intercepted by the Russian navy while sailing in international waters. He was charged with arms trafficking for having a firearm on board.

Hubbard’s release offers welcome relief for his family and for advocates who have pressed Washington to secure the freedom of wrongfully detained Americans. Yet the continued detention of teachers, veterans, permanent residents, and other U.S. citizens in Russia shows that diplomatic negotiations over detainees remain active and incomplete. As this developing story continues, the fate of the remaining Americans is likely to stay at the center of U.S.-Russia engagement.

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