The Russians brutally tortured 73-year-old US citizen Stephen James Hubbard, who was taken prisoner in Izyum (Kharkiv Region) in 2022.
This was reported to The New York Times by Ukrainian soldiers who were held captive with Hubbard. According to them, the elderly American experienced the same torture as they did: he was repeatedly beaten, dogs were set on him, and he was forced to stand for days on end. Former captives say Hubbard will die if he is not released.
In particular, a Ukrainian special forces officer with the call sign ‘Hacker’ met with Stephen Hubbard in a prison in Staryy Oskol (Belgorod Region). After the interrogation, which, according to ‘Hacker’, resembled torture, he was taken to a cell with Hubbard, who gave him water and prayed for him.
‘Hacker’ also said that he met Hubbard again about a month later in a prison in Novozybkov (Bryansk Region), where they were held in adjacent cells.
According to Hacker, the American had problems with his kidneys, stomach and rectum, and was bleeding. Russian guards beat him and forced him to learn Russian words, poems by Russian poets, and the Russian anthem.
"The soldiers, guards and special forces looked at him as a sworn enemy," said Hacker, "because Stephen is an American."
In 2023, Hubbard was transferred to a prison in Pakino (Vladimir Region). There, he shared a cell with Ihor Shyshko, another Ukrainian soldier who had been rescued from Russian captivity, and 13 other prisoners.
"They beat us on the ankles and forced us to sit on the twine, tearing our ligaments," said Ihor Shyshko, "Many men were injured, some permanently. The conditions were inhuman. The same thing happened to Stephen, but it was even worse for him because he was an American. They shouted: "We know you're an American. You're going to die here!"
Lunch in the colony was often boiling water with a few leaves of cabbage, and for dinner the prisoners were given the scraps of Russian prisoners mixed together.
After the Russians discovered that the prisoners had scabies, they were all stripped and thrown into a cold basement, where they were forced to walk in naked circles in just slippers for a month and a half. Ihor Shyshko told The New York Times what the doctor told him: "The scabies mite cannot reproduce in the cold, it will die with you."
Hubbard's sister Fox also told The New York Times that she had seen a video briefly published on X, which showed guards beating him with a slipper.
Hubbard left the United States decades ago, living in Japan, then Cyprus and finally Ukraine, where he settled in the city of Izyum.
He was captured in April 2022 in Izyum. The Russians accused him of mercenarism. He was forced to give recorded testimony several times, which was later published by Russian state propagandists.
In October 2024, a Moscow court found him guilty and sentenced him to six years and 10 months in prison. He is one of 13 Americans held by Russia.