Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher and Air Force veteran, was released from Russian custody Wednesday after spending more than four years in prison. The 74 year old veteran had been serving a roughly seven year sentence.

Russia accused Hubbard in 2022 of working with Ukraine as a mercenary. His release followed a request from President Donald Trump, who announced the development on social media.

Trump said Hubbard was freed out of respect for the president and that the United States was not asked to provide anything in return. The president emphasized that the release required “no swap.”

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff retrieved Hubbard in St. Petersburg and confirmed that the veteran’s freedom was not tied to an exchange. Witkoff also publicly thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for granting Trump’s request.

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“This release was not part of an exchange — and we extend our thanks to President Putin for releasing him on President Trump’s request,” Witkoff said on social media.

Hubbard began serving as an active duty airman in March 1974, according to information provided by an Air Force spokesperson. He held the rank of Airman 1st Class and worked as an apprentice administration specialist.

His final duty station was Mather Air Force Base in California. Hubbard separated from active service in March 1978 after four years in the Air Force.

Mather closed as a military base in 1993. The former installation now operates as Sacramento Mather Airport.

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After leaving active duty, Hubbard also served in the Air National Guard. However, the age of the records means information about his role as a guardsman is sparse within the force’s system, the Air Force spokesperson said.

The National Guard did not return a request for comment. Available information therefore provides few additional details about Hubbard’s Guard service after his departure from active duty.

Trump also addressed the relationship between Hubbard’s release and his decision not to impose sanctions on Russia during the negotiations. He told reporters outside the White House that sanctions would have prevented the American veteran from coming home.

The president said people who “don’t know how life works” had questioned his decision to waive sanctions while seeking Hubbard’s freedom. Trump argued that imposing those sanctions would have ended any prospect of securing the veteran’s release.

“If I would’ve done that, you would not have Mr. Hubbard coming back,” Trump told reporters.

Trump expanded on that warning while discussing what could have happened if the sanctions had moved forward. “If you would’ve put those sanctions on, or whatever you want to call them, you could forget about him, you’d never see him again,” he continued. “He’d be back in jail for 25 years.”

Hubbard’s release came less than a week after Trump prevented new sanctions on Russia. The proposed measures were intended to target the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas.

That decision drew criticism from members of Congress who support both the sanctions legislation and Ukraine. Trump’s response focused squarely on the practical consequence he said sanctions would have created for Hubbard.

The Hubbard case is also one of several releases involving Americans held in Russian custody that the administration has negotiated since returning to office last year. Witkoff identified Robert Gilman, Ksenia Karelina and Marc Fogel among the other Americans released.

Unlike an exchange requiring the United States to surrender something in return, Witkoff said Hubbard’s release came directly at Trump’s request. Hubbard is now out of Russian custody after more than four years behind bars, while Trump has defended the negotiating decision that helped make his return possible.

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