Russia rejected claims Friday that the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard was connected to the detention and subsequent release of Russian military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk in Montenegro, maintaining that President Vladimir Putin freed Hubbard as a humanitarian gesture following a request from President Donald Trump.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Kremlin denied Friday, Oct. 23, that Russia released American citizen Stephen Hubbard in exchange for a Russian military blogger who had been briefly detained in Montenegro, rejecting allegations that the two cases were connected.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed suggestions that Hubbard’s release was part of an undisclosed arrangement involving Mikhail Zvinchuk, a prominent Russian commentator known for his coverage of the war in Ukraine.
“That’s not right,” Peskov told reporters when asked about the alleged connection, according to Reuters.
The denial came two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized Hubbard’s release following an appeal from Trump.
Hubbard, 74, a retired schoolteacher from Michigan, had been imprisoned in Russia for more than four years after authorities accused him of fighting alongside Ukrainian forces following Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
He was arrested in April 2022 in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum, where Russian prosecutors alleged that he had served at a Ukrainian military checkpoint.
In October 2024, a Moscow court sentenced Hubbard to six years and 10 months in prison on mercenary charges following a closed-door trial.
Although Russian state media reported that Hubbard pleaded guilty, his American attorney, Martin De Luca, said his client denied participating in military activities or belonging to a Ukrainian combat unit.
The U.S. government designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained in January 2025, rejecting the allegations underlying his imprisonment.
His release was announced Wednesday during a meeting between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg.
Putin said Hubbard had been freed and was at Pulkovo Airport, where arrangements were being made for his return to the United States.
According to Reuters’ original report on the release, Hubbard was the only American then held in Russia who had received an official wrongful-detention designation from Washington.
Trump subsequently said he had personally asked Putin to release Hubbard and that Moscow had demanded nothing in return.
The president emphasized that the release was not part of a conventional prisoner exchange, describing it as an unusual gesture by the Russian government.
Witkoff also welcomed Putin’s decision during their meeting, thanking the Russian leader for authorizing Hubbard’s freedom.
The Associated Press reported that Witkoff personally greeted Hubbard before his departure and praised Putin for facilitating the release.
The Kremlin characterized the decision as one motivated by humanitarian considerations rather than a negotiated exchange.
However, questions emerged after reports that Zvinchuk, a Russian military blogger with a substantial following, had recently been detained and released by authorities in Montenegro.
Zvinchuk is associated with Rybar, a Russian military commentary platform that publishes battlefield analysis and reporting on the conflict in Ukraine.
He was briefly detained in Montenegro earlier in October before being released.
Some American political critics subsequently suggested that his release might have been connected to Hubbard’s freedom, despite the absence of publicly established evidence linking the two cases.
Friday’s denial marked the Kremlin’s first direct response to that specific allegation.
Neither Moscow nor Washington has announced a prisoner exchange involving Zvinchuk, and no confirmed arrangement connecting his detention to Hubbard’s release has been made public.
Hubbard’s return has also drawn attention to broader diplomatic developments between Russia and the United States.
His release occurred during Witkoff’s visit to St. Petersburg for discussions with Putin concerning the war in Ukraine and the possibility of renewed peace negotiations.
The diplomatic contact came as Washington continued attempting to arrange talks involving representatives of the United States, Russia and Ukraine.
Although the release was presented as a humanitarian action, it took place against a backdrop of shifting U.S.-Russia relations and ongoing disagreements about sanctions, territorial disputes and military operations.
Hubbard arrived back in the United States late Wednesday, according to CBS News, ending more than four years in Russian custody.
His family expressed relief following his return.
In a statement provided through Hubbard’s attorney, relatives said they were grateful that he had finally regained his freedom.
The family had consistently disputed the Russian government’s allegations and sought American assistance in securing his release.
Hubbard’s case had attracted particular concern because of his age and reports about his treatment during imprisonment.
According to an Associated Press interview with his sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, the former teacher had endured severe physical hardship while incarcerated.
His sister said Hubbard had experienced beatings and serious food deprivation during his detention.
The Kremlin has not independently addressed those allegations in its latest statements.
Hubbard is now undergoing medical evaluation and rehabilitation after returning to American soil.
While questions continue about the diplomatic circumstances surrounding his release, the Russian government maintains that Putin acted voluntarily following Trump’s request.
Friday’s statement leaves Moscow and Washington publicly aligned in their assertions that Hubbard’s freedom was not secured through an exchange involving the Russian war blogger.
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