# Retired Michigan teacher says he believed he would be freed only after leaving Russian prison

https://mins.news/en/item/123229

- The Guardian, 2026-10-30 23:19 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/30/retired-michigan-teacher-released-russian-prison

> Stephen Hubbard, 74, said he did not trust repeated assurances of release until he was given new clothes and led out of prison. He had been held for more than four years on Russian charges that he fought as a mercenary in Ukraine; his legal team denies the allegations. Donald Trump said he had asked Vladimir Putin to free Hubbard and that the US did not need to release anyone in return.

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