Stephen Hubbard Freed: U.S. Citizen Released from Russian Prison After Four Years
Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American, has been released from Russian custody. Learn the details of his return and the diplomatic efforts behind it.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — Fr. Joseph Coleman once feared he would never speak to his father, Stephen Hubbard, again after a brief, harrowing phone call while Hubbard was held in a Russian prison last year.
Hubbard’s release was confirmed Wednesday during a high-level meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 74-year-old retired schoolteacher had been detained for over four years on accusations of fighting for Ukraine, charges the U.S. government officially labeled as a wrongful detention.
President Trump stated that Putin agreed to the release at his request, noting that no swap was required, though he acknowledged that his decision to waive new sanctions against Russia was a factor in the outcome. Hubbard was captured in Ukraine shortly after the 2022 invasion and sentenced to nearly seven years in a penal colony following a closed-door trial.
Before departing St. Petersburg, Hubbard spoke with his son for one minute. Coleman noted that his father sounded significantly better than he had during their previous conversation in May 2025, though the presence of Witkoff limited the opportunity for a private exchange.
Coleman, who resides in Cyprus, expressed his desire to personally assess his father’s health and provide him with the space needed to adjust to his newfound freedom. The family had lost contact with Hubbard for roughly three years following his initial detention until Russian lawyers eventually located him and facilitated legal visits and basic necessities.
De Luca, a member of the legal team, emphasized that the isolation had taken a severe toll on Hubbard. The legal team conducted an independent investigation and found no evidence that Hubbard had served in the Ukrainian military or was physically capable of doing so at his age, noting that the Russian case file remained largely sealed.
Following the release, Witkoff drew criticism from lawmakers for describing Putin as a humanitarian. Coleman, however, characterized the release as a small step toward peace and expressed gratitude for the decision, describing it as an act of compassion and even mercy.
While Coleman acknowledged that his father may have made a mistake by remaining in a war zone after Russian forces advised foreign nationals to leave, he maintained that the detention was not justifiable. Despite Hubbard’s return, approximately 20 Americans remain imprisoned in Russia, and the State Department continues to warn against travel to the country due to the ongoing risk of wrongful detention.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
