Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard on Wednesday, coinciding with the start of talks between Russian officials and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Hubbard, 74, is a retired schoolteacher originally from Big Rapids, Michigan, with a background that includes service in the US Air Force and National Guard. After earning a master’s degree in English, he taught in Japan for 25 years before relocating to Cyprus and later, in 2014, to Izyum in eastern Ukraine, where he lived with a Ukrainian partner.
Hubbard’s sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, said he lived on a modest pension of about $300 per month and had limited contact with local residents. They last communicated in September 2021. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and captured Izyum two months later. While Ukrainian forces retook the city in September 2022, Hubbard was reportedly already in Russian custody at that time.
Russian state media reported that Hubbard was detained in April 2022, accusing him of operating a Ukrainian military checkpoint. However, independent verification of the exact circumstances surrounding his capture has not been possible. Fox identified her brother in videos circulated on YouTube showing a man being questioned about his views on President Vladimir Putin and the war, including footage of him with bound hands being struck with a sandal. The timing and location of these videos remain unconfirmed.
In October 2024, after a closed trial, a Moscow court convicted Hubbard of being a mercenary, sentencing him to six years and 10 months in prison. Prosecutors alleged that Hubbard had joined a Ukrainian territorial defense unit, undergone training, received weapons and ammunition, and was promised $1,000 per month. Russian media reported that Hubbard pleaded guilty to the charges.
Family members and Hubbard’s legal representation have disputed these claims. Fox expressed skepticism of the reported confession, noting that Hubbard held pro-Russian views and was unlikely to have engaged in combat activities at his age. Martin De Luca, Hubbard’s US-based lawyer, said in June 2025 that Hubbard denied the charges and maintained he had not been involved in any military or combat roles, asserting that Russian forces had forcibly taken him from his home.
In January 2025, the US government designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained, allowing official efforts to negotiate his release to proceed despite Russia’s refusal to grant consular access to US officials, according to the State Department. The recent announcement by President Putin marks a significant development in the ongoing diplomatic engagement regarding Hubbard’s case.