On October 21, according to Russian media, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree releasing 74-year-old US citizen Stephen Hubbard from custody. The decision was reportedly made at the request of US President Donald Trump. White House Special Representative Steve Witkoff, according to the same reports, thanked the Russian leader for the decision. Putin himself stated that Hubbard is currently at Pulkovo Airport and is expected to fly home in the near future.
Release and Washington's Gratitude
According to published information, the handover process of the American was completed by the morning of October 21: Hubbard was delivered to St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport, from where, according to Putin, his departure to the US is being prepared. In Washington, Moscow's step was commented on through Special Representative Steve Witkoff, who expressed gratitude for the release decision. Thus, the case, which had dragged on for more than three years since his arrest, reached a practical resolution against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic contacts between the two capitals.
Context: Trump's Statement and Witkoff's Trip
Directly preceding the release was a public statement by Donald Trump made on October 20 in the Oval Office. Addressing reporters, the head of the White House stated that he had discussed the fate of the American, whom the US State Department recognized as wrongfully detained, with Putin. «Just stick with me... And just remember this issue for another couple of days, okay? Because I'm doing things that nobody else can do. Watch what happens. We've been focusing on Hubbard», Trump said. The statement came as Witkoff was preparing for a trip to Moscow to continue negotiations on Ukraine following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo.
Seven Years in a Colony: How Hubbard Was Deprived of Liberty
Prior to his release, Stephen Hubbard had been serving a nearly seven-year sentence in a Russian penal colony on charges of mercenarism. In 2014, he moved to Ukraine and settled with his common-law wife in Izium, Kharkiv Oblast. On April 2, 2022, according to the American himself, he was abducted from his own home by Russian military personnel. The Moscow City Court found Hubbard «guilty» of participating in hostilities on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a mercenary and sentenced him to six years and ten months in prison.
US and Hubbard Family Position
The US Department of State throughout the entire period of detention repeatedly urged Moscow to release the citizen, stating that his detention was illegal. Hubbard's relatives, in turn, emphasized that he was a pacifist and never took up arms, which contradicts the qualification given to him by the Russian court. It was this line — «wrongfully detained civilian» — that became the basis of Washington's public stance during the negotiations.
Diplomatic Background: St. Petersburg and Ukraine Negotiations
Hubbard's release coincided with Steve Witkoff's visit to St. Petersburg, where he arrived on October 21 to continue peace negotiations on Ukraine with the Russian authorities. On the same day, Trump's special representative met with Vladimir Putin. Thus, Hubbard's issue was settled within the framework of a broader diplomatic track linking the release of the American to ongoing discussions on a Ukrainian settlement.
