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Russia Releases US Citizen Stephen Hubbard
· Confirmed
In Short: US citizen Stephen Hubbard, jailed in Russia since 2022, was released and is on his way home.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American citizen, during talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, according to state media and the BBC (United Kingdom).
The BBC (United Kingdom) reported that Hubbard was taken to Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, while Thenews (Pakistan) and Kyivindependent (Ukraine) confirmed that Putin had ordered his release during the meeting.
Hubbard, a retired school teacher and former member of the U.S. National Guard and Air Force, was sentenced to nearly seven years in a Russian penal colony in 2024 after being accused of serving in a defense unit in Izyum, as reported by the BBC (United Kingdom) and Fox News.
According to the BBC (United Kingdom) and Kyivindependent (Ukraine), Hubbard was arrested in April 2022 in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum and had been living in Ukraine since 2014.
The US State Department had classified Hubbard as 'wrongfully detained,' and Trump had suggested his release might be imminent, as noted by the BBC (United Kingdom) and CBS News.
Trump stated there was no 'swap' necessary for Hubbard's release, and he thanked Putin for the deal struck with Washington to import Russian diesel, as reported by the BBC (United Kingdom) and CBS News.
Putin said the first shipment of diesel oil under the agreement would leave Russia in two to three days, as quoted by state news agency TASS and reported by the BBC (United Kingdom) and NBC News.
Witkoff thanked Putin for Hubbard's release and told Putin that Trump was deeply grateful, as reported by the BBC (United Kingdom) and Thenews (Pakistan).
Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Trump’s top envoy for peace negotiations, Steve Witkoff, were leading the negotiations for Hubbard’s release, as reported by Justthenews.
The meeting between Putin and Witkoff also discussed Ukraine peace negotiations and bilateral relations with Washington, as reported by the BBC (United Kingdom) and Themoscowtimes.
Despite the optimism, President Zelensky of Ukraine and Trump appear at loggerheads, as noted by the BBC (United Kingdom).
The accounts agree that Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American citizen, was released from Russian custody and is on his way home following talks between Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg.
What this adds
The sources have not established the exact conditions under which Hubbard was released or the full extent of the negotiations that led to his release.
What's confirmed
- Stephen Hubbard has been taken to Pulkovo Airport, Putin said during talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, according to state media.
- "There was no "swap" necessary for this release," Trump said.
- The US State Department had previously classified Hubbard as "wrongfully detained" and Trump had suggested on Tuesday that his release may be imminent.
- Imprisoned American teacher Stephen Hubbard released by Russia 2.
- Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced the release of Hubbard during his meeting with Witkoff, adding that Hubbard had already been taken to the airport, Vesti reports.
What's still developing
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- "Your decision to remove export controls on diesel oil from Russia, not just to the US but also to the world at large in the midst of an economic shock, I think that was really important that that happened," he told Putin.
- "Watch what happens," Trump told reporters, "we have been focused on Hubbard".
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- Ukraine brought forward new ideas and proposals at those talks, a U.S. official told NBC News, adding that “meaningful progress” was made as the Trump administration intensifies its peace push.
- Hubbard's release comes as Trump has lifted some sanctions on Moscow — and openly criticized Ukraine — amid U.S.
- "Now it works, it's great," he said, adding he and Rubio had discussed supplies of Patriot missile interceptors, as well as the satellite-based Starlink system, which Kyiv said had stopped working when mounted on fast-moving objects such as drones.