A Moscow court sentenced 72-year-old American Stephen James Hubbard to nearly seven years in prison for fighting in Ukraine as "a mercenary," Russian independent media outlet Mediazona reported on Oct. 7.
Hubbard reportedly had been living in Ukraine since 2014. After Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, he joined a Ukrainian territorial defense unit in the town of Izium in Kharkiv Oblast, and a couple of months later was captured by Russia.
In a closed-door trial, Russia accused Hubbard of allegedly agreeing to fight for Ukraine for $1,000 per month, while receiving training, weapons and ammunition.
In addition to the six-year and 10 months prison sentence, the court also ruled to confiscate the money Hubbard earned while serving in the territorial defense unit totaling Hr 142,300 (about $3,400).
According to media reports, Hubbard had pleaded guilty to the charge. However, his sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, and another relative questioned Hubbard's confession in an interview with Reuters in September, saying that he held pro-Russian views and was unlikely to take up arms at his age.
The Russian court's sentence is expected to be appealed.
A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Moscow said it was aware of the detention of a U.S. citizen, without providing further comment. Kyiv has not commented on the reports.
Hubbard is one of at least 10 Americans imprisoned in Russia, Reuters reported.
A number of U.S. citizens, including the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, were released in a historic prisoner swap on Aug. 1, with Russia and several Western countries exchanging a total of 24 detainees.
Kateryna Denisova
