Russian court jails US citizen Hubbard for nearly 7 years on Ukraine mercenary charge; his family fights back

A Russian court has sentenced 72-year-old American citizen Stephen James Hubbard to six years and 10 months behind bars. The elderly man was convicted during a secretive, closed-door trial for allegedly serving as a mercenary for Ukraine.

In a dramatic conclusion to a contentious legal battle, a Russian court has sentenced 72-year-old American citizen Stephen James Hubbard to six years and 10 months behind bars. The elderly man was convicted during a secretive, closed-door trial for allegedly serving as a mercenary for Ukraine. Hubbard’s case has sparked controversy, as his family challenges the legitimacy of the reported confession and the charges against him.

Investigators assert that Hubbard, originally from Michigan, was recruited to fight for a Ukrainian territorial defense unit in Izyum, an eastern Ukrainian city where he had resided since 2014. They claim he received $1,000 a month for his service and was equipped with weaponry and ammunition after supposedly signing up in February 2022—the same time Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine. Russian soldiers reportedly apprehended him on April 2, 2022.

State media reports indicated that Hubbard had admitted to the charges, but his family is adamant that this narrative is flawed. In interviews with Reuters, his sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, and another relative cast serious doubt on the confession, arguing that it is out of character for the 72-year-old, who had long held pro-Russian views. "He’s not the kind of man who would take up arms at his age," said Fox, suggesting the confession may not have been voluntary.

During Monday's court proceedings, Hubbard, clad in a beige sweater and visibly weary, appeared in handcuffs inside a glass courtroom cage. He rose slowly, with apparent difficulty, as the judge read the verdict, removing his hat to reveal his bald head. Despite the severity of the sentencing, Hubbard exhibited no outward signs of emotion. After conferring briefly with his lawyer, who refrained from commenting to the press, it was announced that an appeal is planned.

The circumstances surrounding Hubbard’s detention remain unclear, with Reuters unable to independently verify how or why he was arrested. Despite repeated inquiries, the Ukrainian foreign affairs ministry has not responded for comment. Meanwhile, the US embassy in Moscow has acknowledged the detention but offered no further remarks.

Hubbard’s family describes him as an isolated figure who, over the years, became distanced from his relatives. Having spent decades abroad teaching English in countries such as Japan and Cyprus, he eventually moved to Ukraine in 2014, where he lived with a Ukrainian woman for some time. Relying on a modest $300-a-month pension, he struggled to assimilate, never learning Russian or Ukrainian and maintaining minimal contact with locals.

Hubbard’s case is part of a larger narrative of American citizens entangled in Russia's legal system. He is one of at least 10 Americans currently imprisoned in Russia, a figure that comes just two months after a high-profile prisoner swap on August 1 freed three Americans and dozens of others from Russian custody.

Adding another layer to the day’s events, in a separate court ruling in Voronezh, south of Moscow, US citizen and former marine Robert Gilman was sentenced to seven years and one month in prison. Gilman was convicted for assaulting both a prison official and a state investigator while already serving time for an earlier assault conviction.