A Russian court has sentenced 72-year-old American Stephen Hubbard to nearly seven years in prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine’s conflict. Hubbard, from Michigan, was accused of signing a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, participating in the fighting until his capture two months later. He is the first US citizen convicted of being a mercenary in the Ukrainian conflict, despite prosecutors initially requesting a longer sentence. The Kremlin has maintained that foreign fighters in Ukraine are mercenaries, portraying the government in Kyiv as nefarious or “Nazi.” Russian news outlets reported that prosecutors took into account Hubbard’s age and admission of guilt when recommending the sentence. Hubbard’s case is part of a broader trend of American arrests in Russia, raising concerns about potential leverage for future prisoner swaps. Another US citizen, Robert Gilman, was also sentenced to over seven years for assaulting law enforcement officers. These cases come after a major US-Russia prisoner exchange in August, with several US citizens still incarcerated in Russia. Russians make up the majority of foreign nationals fighting in Ukrainian armed forces, whereas US citizens are believed to represent a small fraction. Despite the ongoing conflict and political tensions, the fate of American citizens detained in Russia remains uncertain.
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