A Russian court has sentenced Stephen James Hubbard, a 72-year-old American, to six years and 10 months in prison after finding him guilty of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine in a closed-door trial.
Investigators claim that Hubbard, originally from Michigan, was paid $1,000 (£760) a month to join a Ukrainian territorial defense unit in Izyum, where he had been residing since 2014. According to their account, he received training, weapons, and ammunition after allegedly enlisting in February 2022, around the time Russia began its military operation in Ukraine. Russian forces reportedly detained Hubbard on April 2 of the same year, as stated by the prosecutor last month through the RIA state news agency.
Skepticism about confession
Russian media reported that Hubbard admitted to the charges. However, in interviews last month, his sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, and another relative expressed skepticism about the confession, noting that he had pro-Russian views and, given his age, was unlikely to have engaged in combat.
During Monday’s court session, Hubbard appeared in a beige sweater, sitting in a glass cage with handcuffs. He stood, apparently with some difficulty, to hear the Moscow city court judge declare his guilt, removing his hat to reveal a shaved head.
Hubbard displayed no visible reaction as the verdict was read and later consulted his lawyer, who declined to comment to reporters. RIA later mentioned that his lawyer intended to appeal the decision.
Hubbard living in Ukraine since 2014
A representative from the U.S. embassy in Moscow has acknowledged awareness of the detention but provided no further statement on the matter.
In interviews, Fox and another relative described Hubbard as a somewhat isolated individual, estranged from parts of his family after living abroad for many years while teaching English in Japan and Cyprus. Fox mentioned that Hubbard relocated to Ukraine in 2014, living with a Ukrainian woman and surviving on a modest pension of around $300 per month. He never learned Russian or Ukrainian and had limited social connections in the area.
Hubbard among many Americans currently imprisoned in Russia
Hubbard is one of at least 10 Americans currently imprisoned in Russia, following a prisoner exchange on August 1 that freed three Americans along with others from Western countries.
In a separate case, a court in Voronezh, south of Moscow, sentenced former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman to seven years and one month in prison on Monday for attacking a prison officer and a state investigator while serving time for a previous assault conviction.
