Russia frees US citizen Stephen Hubbard as Putin meets Trump envoy
publishers 51articles 65first reported 20 Oct, 19:53 UTCdeveloping since 21 Oct · 8 editionstop 25 #4
Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American imprisoned after being accused of fighting for Ukraine, as President Vladimir Putin met US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg on Wednesday.
Putin said Hubbard had been taken to Pulkovo Airport. President Donald Trump later said Hubbard was on his way home and that no prisoner swap or other exchange had been required. Trump said the release followed a request he made directly to Putin the previous week.
Hubbard, a retired teacher from Michigan who had lived in Ukraine, was detained by Russian forces in the eastern city of Izyum in April 2022. Russian prosecutors alleged that he joined a Ukrainian territorial defence unit, received military training and weapons, and served at a checkpoint. He was convicted of mercenary activity in a closed-door trial and sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in a penal colony.
Russian state media reported that Hubbard pleaded guilty, but his US-based lawyer previously said Hubbard denied belonging to any combat or military unit. The US State Department had classified him as wrongfully detained.
Witkoff thanked Putin for the release during their meeting. The meeting was to review new ideas aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, and Putin offered to talk about restoring economic co-operation between Russia and the United States. Trump defended his recent decision to suspend planned sanctions on Russia, arguing that imposing them would have halted negotiations over Hubbard’s release.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 18 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 51
- Source articles
- 65
- Given to the writer
- 8, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 18 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: Revise the account of the meeting’s agenda to match what the sources establish. - "their meeting, which also covered proposals aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and restoring economic co-operation between Russia and the United States": The sources say the meeting was intended to review ideas for ending the war and that Putin offered to discuss restoring economic co-operation, not that both subjects were confirmed as having been covered.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
Russia frees US citizen Stephen Hubbard as Putin meets Trump envoy
Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American imprisoned after being accused of fighting for Ukraine, as President Vladimir Putin met US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg on Wednesday.
Putin said Hubbard had been taken to Pulkovo Airport. President Donald Trump later said Hubbard was on his way home and that no prisoner swap or other exchange had been required. Trump said the release followed a request he made directly to Putin the previous week.
Hubbard, a retired teacher from Michigan who had lived in Ukraine, was detained by Russian forces in the eastern city of Izyum in April 2022. Russian prosecutors alleged that he joined a Ukrainian territorial defence unit, received military training and weapons, and served at a checkpoint. He was convicted of mercenary activity in a closed-door trial and sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in a penal colony.
Russian state media reported that Hubbard pleaded guilty, but his US-based lawyer previously said Hubbard denied belonging to any combat or military unit. The US State Department had classified him as wrongfully detained.
Witkoff thanked Putin for the release during their meeting,meeting. whichThe alsomeeting coveredwas proposalsto review new ideas aimed at ending the war in UkraineUkraine, and Putin offered to talk about restoring economic co-operation between Russia and the United States. Trump defended his recent decision to suspend planned sanctions on Russia, arguing that imposing them would have halted negotiations over Hubbard’s release.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →