American Stephen Hubbard Returns to U.S. After Release From Russian Prison
Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired schoolteacher who spent more than four years imprisoned in Russia, returned to the United States after his release Wednesday.
Hubbard landed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, where he was expected to receive a medical evaluation typically provided to Americans freed from detention overseas. President Donald Trump said Hubbard could visit the White House within days.
A Michigan native who had been living in Ukraine, Hubbard was captured shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Russian authorities accused him of fighting for Ukraine and manning a checkpoint for mercenaries, allegations his family disputed. He was sentenced to nearly seven years in a penal colony, and the U.S. government designated him as wrongfully detained.
Hubbard’s release was announced during a meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and …