U.S. Citizen Pleads Guilty to Mercenary Charges in Moscow

U.S. citizen Stephen James Hubbard, 72, admitted in a Moscow court to charges of mercenary activity, acknowledging he received money to fight for Ukraine against Russia. He faces seven to 15 years in prison. His sister, Patricia Fox, denies the accusations, stating Hubbard had no interest in warfare.

U.S. citizen Stephen James Hubbard, aged 72, has pleaded guilty in a Moscow court to mercenary activity, admitting to receiving payment to fight for Ukraine against Russia, according to the RIA state news agency.

Hubbard, who was placed in pre-trial detention for six months, could face a sentence ranging from seven to 15 years if convicted. He stated agreement with the indictment, RIA reported. The prosecution claimed Hubbard signed a contract with a Ukrainian territorial defense unit in Izyum in February 2022, where he was promised $1,000 monthly along with training, weapons, and ammunition. Detained by Russian soldiers on April 2, 2022, his case has drawn attention to the involvement of American citizens in the conflict.

His sister, Patricia Fox, told Reuters that Hubbard, a Michigan native and former English teacher abroad, was not a mercenary and had no interest in fighting. Fox said Hubbard had lived in Ukraine since 2014, surviving on a small pension.

(With inputs from agencies.)