Saint Petersburg [Russia], October 21 : Russia on Wednesday released American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained in the country for more than four years, following US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Saint Petersburg, CNN reported.
Hubbard, a retired teacher from Michigan, had been designated by the US State Department as wrongfully detained. His release comes after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he had raised the American citizen’s case with Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN reported.
Ahead of Witkoff’s visit, a US official said the envoy’s trip 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.”
Hubbard spent decades working abroad as an English teacher before moving to the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum in 2014. The city was occupied by Russian forces at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russian prosecutors alleged that Hubbard had fought alongside Ukrainian forces in Izyum after signing a contract for approximately USD 1,000 per month, according to Russian state media. However, his sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, rejected the accusation, describing it as a lie.
Hubbard’s release marks the latest development in efforts to secure the freedom of Americans detained in Russia, where individual cases have featured prominently in diplomatic engagement between Washington and Moscow.
In August, Robert Gilman, a US Marine veteran held in Russian detention, was released on humanitarian grounds amid serious concerns about his health. Gilman was reportedly severely emaciated when he returned to the United States aboard a specialised medical aircraft. The organisation advocating for his release alleged that he had been tortured during his detention.
Witkoff’s visit to St Petersburg comes amid continuing diplomatic efforts over the Russia-Ukraine war. According to Al Jazeera, the US special envoy arrived in the Russian city for a scheduled meeting with Putin.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a swift end to the conflict and urged the United States and European allies to help advance peace efforts.