In brief
Russia has freed Stephen Hubbard, a 72‑year‑old U.S. citizen suspended in a penal colony in 2024 after being accused of fighting for Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin announced the release during talks with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff on a flight from Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg. Hubbard, originally from Michigan, was sentenced to almost seven years in a penal colony and had been captured by Russian forces while supposedly serving in a defence unit in Izium. The decision follows continued diplomatic pressure and highlights the fraught relations between Russia and the United States over the war in Ukraine.
Russia has released an American citizen, Stephen Hubbard, after near seven years of imprisonment.
President Vladimir Putin announced the decision during a meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff while en route to the airport in St Petersburg. Hubbard, a 72‑year‑old native of Michigan, was sentenced in 2024 after prosecutors claimed he fought for Ukraine. He was held in a penal colony but was freed after Russian forces captured him two years earlier while he was said to be a member of a defence unit in the eastern city of Izium.
The release comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between the two nations and underscores the complexity of the conflict over Ukraine. Officials have said that further details will soon be made public as the situation continues to evolve.
