Russia Frees 74-Year-old American Amid US Deal Talks

WHO:

CNN - Stephen Hubbard is a 74-year-old American and retired teacher from Michigan; his sister is Patricia Hubbard Fox.

CNN - US special envoy Steve Witkoff visited St. Petersburg and thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for Hubbard’s release.

NBC News - Russian state news agencies reported Hubbard’s release; TASS reported that Putin said Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport.

NBC News - Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said Ukraine would dominate Putin and Witkoff’s talks; Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev was also due to join.

NBC News - Trump said, “We want Zelenskyy to make a deal,” and said the United States had received “absolutely nothing back except grief, death, tremendous monetary loss.”

NBC News - Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the Oslo talks as “positive” and said “nothing unexpected” came out of them.

ABC News - Sources said negotiations with Russia have centered on freeing Stephen Hubbard and could include multiple jailed Americans.

WHAT:

CNN - Russian state media reported Hubbard was released after Witkoff’s visit; Hubbard had been imprisoned for more than four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.

NBC News - Russia’s state news agencies reported Hubbard was released; the United States had not immediately confirmed the release.

CNN - The US State Department designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained. His sister called the accusation against him a lie.

NBC News - Trump said he had raised the idea of Hubbard’s release with Putin.

NBC News - Trump said, “We’ve given a lot to Ukraine.”

NBC News - Zelenskyy said a potential meeting of the US, Russian and Ukrainian leaders was “one of the important ideas” raised in Oslo.

NBC News - Zelenskyy said security-cooperation issues with the United States had been resolved and said, “We are thankful that intelligence works now.”

CNN - Robert Gilman, a Marine veteran, was released from Russian detention on humanitarian grounds amid severe health concerns; an advocacy organization said he had been tortured.

NBC News - At least nine civilians were killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine; Russian authorities said one person was killed in a Ukrainian strike in Bryansk.

WHERE:

CNN - Hubbard moved to Izyum, in eastern Ukraine; Russian forces occupied the city at the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

NBC News - Putin and Witkoff met at Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg; the talks followed negotiations in Oslo, Norway.

WHEN:

CNN - Hubbard lived in Izyum from 2014; he was detained after Russia’s invasion began in 2022.

CNN - Hubbard spent more than four years imprisoned in Russia.

NBC News - State agencies reported Hubbard’s release on Wednesday; Trump said Tuesday that he had raised the case with Putin.

WHY:

CNN - A US official said Witkoff’s visit was expected to include efforts to secure the release of Hubbard, reflecting Trump’s commitment to bringing Americans home.

NBC News - The US official said the goal of the Putin meeting was to discuss proposals from Oslo and create a path toward direct negotiations.

HOW:

CNN - Russian prosecutors alleged Hubbard signed a contract to fight in Izyum for about $1,000 per month; Hubbard’s sister disputed the accusation.

NBC News - US negotiators met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo; a US official said Ukraine presented new proposals and that “meaningful progress” was made.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 10:03 UTC)

Russian state media reported that Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American and retired Michigan teacher who spent more than four years imprisoned in Russia, has been released, though the United States had not immediately confirmed it. US special envoy Steve Witkoff met with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for Hubbard’s release; Hubbard had been detained after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and his sister has disputed the accusation that he fought as a mercenary. The talks followed negotiations in Oslo, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said security cooperation with the United States had been resolved, while President Trump urged Zelenskyy to make a deal and said the US had received “absolutely nothing back except grief, death, tremendous monetary loss.”