@dwnews: Russia has agreed to release a retired American teacher who had been imprisoned on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, US envoy Steve Witkoff said. Stephen Hubbard was taken to Pulkovo Airport, President Vladimir Putin told Witkoff during a meeting in St. Petersburg. Hubbard had been taken captive by Russian forces in Ukraine and later charged with being a mercenary. He was sentenced to seven years in prison at a closed trial in 2024. The US government under former President Joe Biden's administration designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained. Witkoff held talks with Putin as part of a push to end the war in Ukraine. #dwnews

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Wednesday 21 October 2026 10:20:52 GMT