Russia has released 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard, according to a Fox News report cited in the source text and statements attributed to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
What’s confirmed
The source text says Witkoff met Hubbard on Wednesday at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg and that the Michigan-born retired English teacher was walking on his own. The outlet credits Fox News for the initial report.
What Trump and family say
According to the source text, Donald Trump said he personally raised Hubbard’s case with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that Russia required no concessions in return. Trump said the release came “out of respect for President Trump.”
The source text quotes Hubbard’s son, Joseph Coleman, as saying, “we must acknowledge that this humanitarian move by President Putin in this matter is deeply appreciated.”
Case background
The source text states that Hubbard, a retired teacher from Michigan who had lived in Izyum, Ukraine, since 2014, was detained after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and later charged as a mercenary. It says he was sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years and that both his family and the U.S. State Department called the charges fabricated. The source text further says the State Department designated Hubbard “wrongfully detained.”
What remains unclear
Verified Headlines has not independently confirmed the terms of the release, Trump’s account that no concessions were made, or the details of Hubbard’s current condition. The source text does not include a Russian government statement on the release.
Who’s still detained
The source text lists several Americans it says remain imprisoned in Russia: Andre Khachatoorian, David Barnes, Aleksander Antonov, Olga Jezler, and Chuck Zimmerman. It also notes that Marine veteran Robert Gilman was freed in August and that his advocates allege he was tortured. These claims are attributed in the source text to Fox News and CNN.
