A 72-year-old US citizen, Stephen Hubbard, has been sentenced to prison in Russia for fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. Hubbard, who had lived in Ukraine since 2014, joined a territorial defense unit in February 2022 and was captured by Russian forces in the city of Izyum less than two weeks after Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine began.
During his trial, Hubbard pleaded guilty to serving as a mercenary, claiming he was influenced by Ukrainian media without fully understanding the situation. Judge Alexandra Kovalevskaya sentenced him to six years and ten months in prison, with a possibility of parole after serving half his term.
Hubbard’s family doubts his confession, and the US State Department accuses Moscow of denying consular access to the American detainee. Meanwhile, Moscow is investigating thousands of foreign mercenaries fighting for Kiev, with Polish, Georgian, and US nationals among the top suppliers. The Russian Defense Ministry reported over 13,300 mercenaries, with around 6,000 killed in action.