Russia sentences U.S. citizen to nearly 7 years for fighting for Ukraine

A Russian court on Monday sentenced 72-year-old American Stephen Hubbard to six years and 10 months in prison after being accused of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, Russian state media reported.

Hubbard pleaded guilty to charges in a hearing a week ago, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.

Hubbard allegedly served in a territorial defense unit in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum before Russian soldiers captured him in April 2022, a few weeks after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion. It’s not clear how he was transferred to Russia.