A Russian court has sentenced a 72-year-old United States citizen, Stephen Hubbard, to six years and 10 months in prison, accusing him of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. The ruling followed a closed-door trial in which Stephen Hubbard, originally from Michigan, was convicted of receiving payment to serve in a Ukrainian territorial defense unit.
Stephen Hubbard was detained in eastern Ukraine in April 2022, two months after the Russian invasion began. Investigators allege that he joined the Ukrainian forces in February 2022, just prior to the full-scale military offensive. According to Russian authorities, Stephen Hubbard was paid $1,000 per month for his involvement in the defense unit in the city of Izyum, where he had been residing since 2014. They claim he underwent military training and was provided with weapons and ammunition during his service.
Stephen Hubbard’s case first gained public attention in September 2024 when his trial commenced, during which he entered a guilty plea. Last week, the court granted the prosecution’s request to hold the proceedings in secret, barring the media from further access. On the day of his sentencing, Stephen Hubbard appeared in court handcuffed and moved slowly as he stood to hear Judge Alexandra Kovalevskaya deliver his sentence.
US officials have expressed concerns about the handling of the case. The US State Department confirmed Stephen Hubbard’s detention in Ukraine but has struggled to gain further insights due to Russia’s refusal to provide consular access. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller acknowledged the difficulty in gathering information and emphasized that Washington would continue pressing Russia to meet its obligations. “We’re looking at the case very closely and considering our next steps,” Miller added.
Stephen Hubbard’s family has raised doubts about the circumstances surrounding his guilty plea. His sister, Patricia Stephen Hubbard Fox, and another relative described him as unlikely to have taken up arms due to his age and deteriorating health. According to Fox, Stephen Hubbard held pro-Russian views and had been living off a modest pension of $300 per month while residing in Ukraine since 2014. His family noted that he was estranged from some relatives and had spent decades abroad teaching English in countries like Japan and Cyprus before settling in Ukraine.
Stephen Hubbard is one of at least 10 Americans currently imprisoned in Russia, following a series of high-profile detentions and prisoner exchanges between Moscow and the West.
