Verified Evidence: resolved · Fact Lock: locked · QA: pass
Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a U.S. citizen who had been accused of acting as a mercenary in Ukraine, according to the supplied reports.

Forbes described Hubbard as a 74-year-old American teacher who had been imprisoned in Russia since 2022. La Repubblica reported that he had been sentenced to six years after being accused of working as a mercenary for Kyiv. The supplied reporting does not establish the validity of that accusation.

Clarín’s AP-sourced report said that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed Hubbard’s release. Forbes reported that Witkoff thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for freeing the American prisoner. The Financial Times reported that Witkoff met Putin in connection with efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

India Today reported that Donald Trump had asked Putin to free the jailed U.S. citizen and that Russia released Hubbard ahead of Witkoff’s visit. That account is the supplied source for both the request and the reported timing in relation to the envoy’s visit.

The available excerpts do not specify where or how Hubbard was released, whether conditions were attached, or the precise timing of the release. They establish the reported outcome but provide no further details about the arrangement.

SOURCES

  1. Forbes BusinessRussia Frees American Prisoner Held Since 2022 As Trump Envoy Meets Putin
  2. India TodayTrump asks Putin to free jailed US citizen, Russia releases him ahead of envoy visit
  3. La RepubblicaDal ponte delle spie a Stephen Hubbard: la politica degli scambi di prigionieri tra Russia e Usa
  4. ClarínRusia libera a un estadounidense acusado de trabajar como mercenario en Ucrania, dice enviado de EEUU Witkoff
  5. Financial TimesRussia releases US citizen as Trump’s envoy visits