Putin released the 74-year-old American. Stephen Hubbard was released

Who is Stephen Hubbard?

Stephen Hubbard is a retired teacher from Michigan who for years led a quiet life away from his hometown. He served in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, and after retiring, he lived in Japan for 25 years, where he taught English.

He then moved to Cyprus, and from 2014 he lived in Izium in eastern Ukraine with his Ukrainian partner. According to his sister, Patricia Hubbard, Fox lived modestly, living on a pension and having little contact with the local community.

How was Hubbard captured?

In February 2022, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, and two months later Izium came under Russian control. In September of the same year, the city was recaptured by Ukrainian forces, but Hubbard was already in Russian captivity.

Russian media claimed he was detained in April 2022 for allegedly operating a Ukrainian checkpoint. The circumstances of his capture remain unclear - his family recognized him in the interrogation recordings, but it is not known when and where they were recorded.

Controversial trial and charges

Hubbard's trial took place behind closed doors. In October 2024, a court in Moscow found him guilty of participating in fighting on the side of Ukraine and sentenced him to almost seven years in prison. The prosecutor's office claimed that he joined a Ukrainian territorial defense unit, received training and received weapons.

Hubbard himself, as reported by his American lawyer Martin De Luca, vehemently denied these allegations, maintaining that he was simply taken from his home by Russian soldiers. The family also disputed the Russian authorities' version, emphasizing that Hubbard had pro-Russian views and would not have been able to fight at his age.

International pressure and release

In January 2025, Washington officially recognized Hubbard as unlawfully detained, which enabled negotiations to begin regarding his release. Throughout, Russian authorities denied consular access to American officials, and Hubbard was transferred between various detention centers.

At the time of his release, he was the only U.S. citizen whom Washington considered to be unlawfully detained in Russia.

What's next for Stephen Hubbard?