Jun 11 — Russians repeatedly tortured Stephen James Hubbard, a retired American teacher, in a notorious Mordovia prison because he is American, said Ukrainian prisoners of war who were held in Russian captivity with Hubbard to The New York Times.

Hubbard, a Micchigan native, moved to Izyum to live with his Ukrainian wife.

Izyum is a city in the southeast of the Kharkiv region that was occupied at the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022 and liberated during the Kharkiv counteroffensive in September 2022.

In April 2022, Russians seized Hubbard from his home in Izym, dragging him into captivity during the occupation of the city, Ukrainian officials said.

In October 2024, Moscow court sentenced Hubbard to six years and 10 months of prison on charges of “serving as a mercenary in Ukraine.”

Hubbard is the only American remaining in Russian captivity, who the U.S. State Department has designated as “wrongfully detained.” He is likely a top candidate in any potential prisoner exchange being discussed between Russia and the United States.

In interviews after being exchanged, the Ukrainians said they feared for his life because Russians beat him, forced him to stand all day, gave him little food, and did not provide him with medical care because he is American.

The United States has accused Russia of inventing criminal charges against Americans, like Hubbard, to use them in exchanges for Russians detained in other countries. The Times noted that Russia’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. So far, the Russian government has made no official statement on Hubbard.

Read more

  • Ukraine exchanges part of severely wounded soldiers from Russian captivity
  • Ukraine and Russia conduct first exchange of prisoners as part of Istanbul agreements

Gwara is a Kharkiv-based independent newsroom that works to tell you about our vibrant home while it resists Russia’s war of aggression and endures through its consequences. Please, consider buying our journalists a coffee or subscribing to our Patreon to support our reporting long-term.