- Hopes for the release of 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard depend on discussions between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin, it has been reported.
- The retired schoolteacher and US military veteran was living in Ukraine when he was taken into Russian custody in 2022 following the full-scale invasion.
- In October 2024, a Moscow court sentenced Hubbard to nearly seven years in prison for allegedly acting as a mercenary, a charge his legal team denies.
- Washington designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained in January 2025, enabling the US government to pursue formal negotiations for his release.
- Russia has denied US officials consular access to Hubbard, who was held in multiple detention centres before being located in the Mordovia region.
IN FULL
