Quick Info
| Profession | Retired English language teacher |
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| Nationality | American |
| Date of Birth | 1952 |
Latest News about Stephen James Hubbard
21/10/2026
Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher who had been imprisoned since 2022 after being convicted of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. The release followed a meeting in St. Petersburg between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin, and Moscow presented it as a gesture of goodwill toward President Trump, who had asked for his freedom. Witkoff said the release was not part of a prisoner exchange and that Hubbard was heading back to his family in the United States.
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Bio/Wiki
| Summary | Stephen James Hubbard is an American retired English language teacher and U.S. military veteran from Big Rapids, Michigan. He was detained by Russian forces in April 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, convicted in Moscow in October 2024 of acting as a mercenary, and released by Russia on October 21, 2026, after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg and Donald Trump requested his release. |
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Educational Qualification(s)
| Degree | Master's degree in English |
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Personal Life
| Residence | Lived in eastern Ukraine, settling in the city of Izium, before his 2022 detention |
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| Legal History | Sentenced by a Moscow court on October 7, 2024, to six years and ten months in a penal colony |
| Release | Released by Russia on October 21, 2026, described by Moscow as a goodwill gesture toward President Donald Trump |
Relationships & More
| Partner | Ukrainian partner, with whom he settled in Izium |
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Family
| Sister | Patricia Hubbard Fox |
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Career
| Military Service | Served in the United States Air Force and the National Guard |
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| Teaching | Worked for approximately 25 years as an English teacher in Japan, and also lived and worked in Cyprus |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Some publications have spelled his name as Steven James Humberd. | |
| 2. He grew up in Big Rapids, Michigan. | |
| 3. His sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, lives in Colorado and campaigned publicly for his return. | |
| 4. He was the only American held in Russia who had been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained. |
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