The younger sister of Stephen Hubbard, the U.S. citizen freed after spending more than four years in a Russian prison, said her brother didn’t realize he was being released until he was taken onto a plane and saw an American flag. Patricia Hubbard Fox said her brother has been ‘relief laughing’ since he was freed and is still in disbelief. President Trump said he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to free Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher. Hubbard was accused of fighting for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022. He was sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in prison.

DENVER (AP) — The younger sister of Stephen Hubbard, the American freed Wednesday after spending more than four years in a Russian prison, sai…