# Russia Releases American Stephen Hubbard

> Russia freed Stephen Hubbard during US envoy's St. Petersburg meeting with Putin.
- Title: Russia Releases American Stephen Hubbard · euronews | Shortify
- Summary: Russia freed Stephen Hubbard during US envoy's St. Petersburg meeting with Putin. Russia released Stephen Hubbard after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin, who…
- Keywords: russia, stephen hubbard, us envoy, vladimir putin, st petersburg, mercenaries, ukraine, biden administration, trump, hostage aid worldwide, news, world
- Source: euronews — https://euronews.com/2026/10/21/russia-frees-detained-american-stephen-hubbard-during-us-envoys-visit
- Author: Greta Ruffino
- Published: 2026-10-21T11:45:30+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: russia, stephen hubbard, us envoy, vladimir putin, st petersburg, mercenaries, ukraine, biden administration, trump, hostage aid worldwide, news, world
## Russia releases Stephen Hubbard
Russia freed Stephen Hubbard during US envoy Steve Witkoff's meeting with Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday.

> Because of you, he's going home to his family.
## Hubbard's detention history
Hubbard was imprisoned by Russia in 2022 on bogus charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, sentenced to nearly seven years in 2024.
## US administration's stance
The Biden administration classified Hubbard as wrongfully detained, and Trump urged Putin to free him during recent talks.
## Previous release
Hubbard is the second American released by Russia in two months, following Robert Gilman's August release.
## Key takeaway

Russia released Stephen Hubbard after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin, who thanked him for freeing Hubbard.