On Monday, Russian officials announced that Michigan citizen Stephen James Hubbard, 72, received a sentence of nearly seven years in prison for his actions as a Ukrainian mercenary.
Russian soldiers detained Hubbard in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum, a month into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in April 2022. Following his guilty plea to the mercenary allegation last week, the Russian court in Moscow ruled that he will serve six years and ten months in a prison colony.
Following the signing of a contract to collect $1,000 per month, the Russian prosecutor general accused him of fighting for Russia.
Although Hubbard had been in Russian detention for more than two years, his story did not gain national notice until his trial began in September. Following the significant prisoner swap in August, which freed Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan, at least ten US individuals remain in Russian captivity.
Trisha Hubbard Fox, Hubbard’s sister, reacted to the claims on social media last month.
“Russia’s prosecutor is lying,” she stated on Facebook, according to CNN. “Steve was never a soldier.” He was an English instructor who taught English to other nations.
Following a conversation with the US Embassy in Russia, Fox expressed concern on Facebook on Friday about her brother’s serving time in a Russian prison due to the conditions.
