Russia released US citizen Stephen Hubbard on Wednesday, October 21, after more than four years in custody on accusations of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine. The release took place during a visit by a US special envoy, as President Donald Trump pursued diplomatic steps easing pressure on Russia.
During a face-to-face meeting with Putin, Witkoff praised the Russian leader as a humanitarian. They discussed the war in Ukraine while Trump was pressing Ukraine to accept an agreement to end the conflict.
Hubbard is a US Air Force veteran and a former English teacher. The original article says he retired in Cyprus in 2012 before later moving to Ukraine. Russian forces detained him in April 2022 after taking control of the area where he lived. A Russian court subsequently sentenced him to nearly seven years in prison on accusations of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine. By TOUCH SOVANRITHY.
