A Russian court has sentenced a 72-year-old American citizen to nearly seven years in prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
Prosecutors said Stephen James Hubbard was serving in a defense unit based in the eastern city of Izyum when he was captured by Russian forces in April 2022, shortly after Moscow began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Hubbard “systematically received material compensation” for his participation in the war on the Ukrainian side, a statement from the Russian Prosecutor General said.
He has now been sentenced to 6 years and 10 months in a penal colony.