{
  "id": 15878006,
  "title": "Putin says Russia has freed US citizen Stephen Hubbard",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/putin-says-russia-has-freed-us-citizen-stephen-hubbard-15878006",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-21T11:10:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/europe/2026/10/21/putin-says-russia-has-freed-us-citizen-stephen-hubbard/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that US citizen Stephen Hubbard, 74, detained in Russian custody since 2022, had been freed and was awaiting transportation at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo airport. Hubbard, who had been serving a nearly seven-year prison sentence following a conviction for mercenary activity, was arrested in April 2022 in Izyum, Ukraine, where Russian prosecutors claimed he had been manning a Ukrainian military checkpoint. The incident occurred despite Hubbard having served in the US Air Force and National Guard, earning a master's degree in English, and teaching English in Japan, according to his sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox. Hubbard was the only US prisoner deemed \"wrongfully detained\" by Washington, and was released during a meeting between Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. Putin proposed further discussions with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding economic cooperation during an upcoming APEC summit in China.",
  "summary": "Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old US citizen held in Russian custody since 2022, had been freed and was at St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport. US President Donald Trump had said on Tuesday he raised Mr Hubbard's detention with Mr Putin and hinted that a development in the case could happen soon. Mr Putin made the announcement at a meeting with US…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "American Stephen Hubbard released by Russia, Steve Witkoff says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/american-stephen-hubbard-released-by-russia-steve-witkoff-says",
        "published": "2026-10-21T09:58:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Putin says Russia has freed US citizen Stephen Hubbard",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/putin-says-russia-has-freed-us-citizen-stephen-hubbard-15880276",
        "published": "2026-10-21T11:10:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Russia releases wrongfully detained US citizen Hubbard following Witkoff-Putin meeting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/russia-releases-wrongfully-detained-us-citizen-hubbard-following",
        "published": "2026-10-21T11:28:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "Russia frees American Stephen Hubbard after over 4 years in prison, during a visit from U.S. envoy Witkoff",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/russia-frees-american-stephen-hubbard-after-over-4-years-in-prison",
        "published": "2026-10-21T13:15:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Russia frees retired US schoolteacher Stephen Hubbard",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/russia-frees-retired-us-schoolteacher-stephen-hubbard",
        "published": "2026-10-21T13:34:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Meduza (English)",
        "title": "Who is Stephen Hubbard, the American Putin just freed?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/who-is-stephen-hubbard-the-american-putin-just-freed",
        "published": "2026-10-21T15:12:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}