A 72-year-old American has been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison by a Russian court for allegedly fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. Stephen Hubbard, from Michigan, was accused of signing a contract with the Ukrainian military and fighting alongside them after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. He was captured two months later and sentenced to six years and 10 months in a general-security prison. Prosecutors had requested a sentence of seven years in a maximum-security prison. Hubbard is the first known American to be convicted on charges of fighting as a mercenary in the Ukrainian conflict.
The US State Department expressed disappointment at Russia’s refusal to grant consular access to Hubbard’s case. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated that they were closely monitoring the situation and considering their next steps. The charges against Hubbard carried a potential sentence of 15 years, but prosecutors took his age into account along with his admission of guilt.
Arrests of Americans have become more frequent in Russia recently, leading to concerns that they may be targeted as bargaining chips for negotiations involving Russians convicted of crimes abroad. In another case on Monday, an American named Robert Gilman was sentenced by a court in Voronezh to seven years and one month for assaulting law enforcement officers while serving time for another assault.
Last year, Gilman assaulted both a prison inspector during a cell check and an official from the Investigative Committee, resulting in his new sentence. It is worth noting that last August, the US and Russia completed their largest prisoner swap since the Soviet era, which involved 24 individuals and required concessions from other European countries who released Russians held under their custody as part of the exchange. However, several US citizens still remain imprisoned in Russia following this swap.