Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired schoolteacher from Michigan, is back in the United States after being held in a Russian prison for nearly four years 12. He arrived at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio early Thursday morning, according to The Hill 2. He will get a medical evaluation, which is typical for prisoners freed from overseas 1.
President Trump said Hubbard landed late Wednesday and that he expects him to visit the White House "in the next day or so" 1. The timing of the arrival differs slightly between the two reports. The State Department posted a photo Wednesday of Hubbard with family, holding an American flag 2.
Who Hubbard is and why he was held
Hubbard was captured in Ukraine soon after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Russia accused him of manning a checkpoint for mercenaries, and he was later sentenced to almost seven years in a penal colony 1. His family has always disputed the charges 1.
The U.S. government deemed him wrongfully detained. The Hill reports that former President Biden's administration made that designation 12.
How the release happened
The release was announced during a meeting between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin 1. Mr. Trump said Putin agreed to free Hubbard at his request, with "no 'swap' necessary" 1. He also said Hubbard would not have been released if the White House had not halted new sanctions, passed by Congress against Russia, from taking effect last week 1.
Hubbard's father, friar Joseph Coleman, spoke to his son by phone before the flight from St. Petersburg. He said his son sounded better than he had in May 2025 1.
The backlash over Witkoff's praise of Putin
Witkoff drew criticism from both parties for what he said to Putin during the meeting 12. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, answered on X 2.
You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian, you are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that
You should go back to Ukraine and ask the families of the children Putin has kidnapped and murdered
Overnight, even after the release, Russia launched 21 missiles at Kyiv and struck nearly half of Ukraine's regions 1.
Why it matters
Bringing a wrongfully held American home is good news, and Hubbard's family is rightly relieved. The harder question is what the White House gave up or set aside to get it. The Hill reports that Trump signed an executive order waiving sanctions on Russian energy. He also announced a deal with Putin to buy hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel to bring down costs for Americans 2.
CBS News national security analyst Elliot Ackerman, a retired Marine and former CIA officer, said the moves seem tied to short-term interests on fuel prices 1. He called the release a small gesture within a larger pattern of appeasing actions 1.
What happens next: Hubbard is expected to finish his medical evaluation in San Antonio and then visit the White House 1. Witkoff also traveled to push for a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war, and no such deal has been reported 2.
The Record
- Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Hubbard was captured in Ukraine shortly afterward and later accused of manning a checkpoint for mercenaries 1.
- Hubbard's father last spoke with him before this week, in May 2025 (month approximate in reporting) 1.
- Hubbard's release was announced during a Witkoff-Putin meeting; Witkoff called Putin a "humanitarian" 12.
- Hubbard arrived at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio for a medical evaluation 2.
Sources
- CBS News, “Stephen Hubbard back in U.S. after release from Russian prison” (2026-10-22). cbsnews.com/news/stephen-hubbard-back-us-release-russian-pri
- The Hill, “Stephen Hubbard returns to US after years in Russian prison” (2026-10-22). thehill.com/policy/international/6165190-american-stephen-hu
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