A Moscow court has initiated proceedings against a 72-year-old American man, Stefan Hubbard, who is accused of participating as a mercenary in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to reports from Russian news agencies.
“Moscow City Court began hearing the criminal case of 72-year-old American… over participating as a mercenary in the armed conflict on the side of Ukraine,” RIA Novosti stated. There have been indications on social media that his name might also be spelled as Stephen Hubbard.
In response to the situation, the U.S. embassy in Moscow issued a statement: “We are aware of the reports of the arrest of an American citizen. Due to privacy restrictions we are unable to comment any further.”
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Originally from Michigan, Hubbard relocated to Ukraine in 2014. However, details regarding his arrival in Moscow remain unclear.
During the court hearing, a judge granted the prosecutor’s request to detain Hubbard for six months, citing concerns that he might attempt to flee. As a result, he has been remanded in custody until March 26, 2025, with the next court hearing scheduled for the following Thursday.
Under Russian law, participation as a mercenary in an armed conflict can lead to a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
In May 2022, a video surfaced on various YouTube channels featuring a man identifying himself as Stephen James Hubbard. In this video, he claimed to be in Izyum, located in the Kharkiv region, stating, “I was born in the town of Big Rapids, Michigan, and came to Izyum in 2014.” His appearance was notably unkempt, with a long beard and dirty nails.
Following the onset of the conflict, Russia occupied parts of the Kharkiv region, including Izyum, in the spring of 2022, before Ukraine successfully reclaimed the city in September of the same year.
In recent years, Russia has detained several American citizens on various charges, including espionage, criticism of the military, and even petty theft.
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