Russia Frees American Stephen Hubbard After Trump's Call to Putin; 'No Swap' Needed, Trump Says

Russia freed Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher jailed for more than four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, on Wednesday during a visit to St. Petersburg by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Associated Press reported.

President Donald Trump announced the release in a Truth Social post, saying he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to free Hubbard in a phone call last week.

"Stephen Hubbard, taken four years ago by Russia during the Biden Administration, was just released from prison, at the request of President Donald J. Trump, made directly to President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation last week," Trump wrote, according to Fox News. "Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family."

Trump said the United States "was not required to give anything in return" and that "there was no 'swap' necessary for this release," calling it "an unprecedented situation for Russia." He added: "Welcome home Stephen, it's great to have you back."

No Swap for Stephen Hubbard, Trump Says

Hubbard, 74, is a former teacher from Michigan, according to the AP. He was sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in prison after a closed trial. Russian prosecutors said he signed a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 and fought alongside Kyiv's forces until he was captured two months later. The U.S. government designated him as wrongfully detained during the Biden administration.

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he had been "talking to President Putin about Mr. Hubbard" at length and had asked for his release, as The Digital Free Press reported.

Witkoff thanked Putin during their meeting Wednesday. "Because of you, he's going home to his family," Witkoff told the Russian leader, according to the AP. "You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that the release had been "raised by the American side for a certain time" and that Putin decided to free Hubbard out of "humanitarian considerations," the AP reported.

Other Americans Still Held in Russia

Hubbard is the second American freed by Russia in roughly two months. Marine veteran Robert Gilman, who had been gravely ill, was released in August, according to the AP.

Global Reach, a group that works to free Americans detained abroad and says it represents five Americans held in Russia, praised the release but urged the administration to bring the others home.

"We are grateful to the Trump Administration for reuniting Stephen Hubbard with his family, but at the same time, we know that there are five other families of Americans held in Russia who are going to have a hard time understanding why their loved one was not included in the deal," Eric Lebson, the group's chief strategy officer, said in a statement, according to the AP.

The release came as Witkoff pressed Moscow on ending the war in Ukraine. He met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway on Tuesday before traveling to Russia, the AP reported. In a second Truth Social post, Trump said people who had asked for immediate sanctions on Russia "have called to apologize" because they did not know he was negotiating the release, according to Fox News.

Image: Bahnfrend / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Hold Everyone Accountable.

Sources: Fox News, "Russia releases American Stephen Hubbard after Trump pressed Putin" (Oct. 21, 2026): https://www.foxnews.com/world/stephen-hubbard-russia-american-prisoner-release ; The Associated Press via The Morning Call, "Russia releases detained American Stephen Hubbard during Witkoff visit" (Oct. 21, 2026): https://www.mcall.com/2026/10/21/russia-releases-stephen-hubbard/ ; The Digital Free Press, "Trump Says He Has Asked Putin to Release Detained American Stephen Hubbard: 'It's Time'" (Oct. 20, 2026): https://www.thedigitalfreepress.com/post/trump-asks-putin-release-american-stephen-hubbard