A 72-year-old American man detained in Russia pleaded guilty to fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Monday.
Last week, a Moscow court ordered Stephen Hubbard to be placed in pre-trial detention until March 26, 2025. Prosecutors accuse him of having signed a monthly contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Hubbard reportedly served in a territorial defense unit in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izium before Russian soldiers captured him in April that same year.
“Yes, I agree with the indictment,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying in court Monday.
Reuters contacted Hubbard’s sister, who confirmed that he had been living in Ukraine since 2014 but denied that he was a mercenary. Hubbard is one of at least 10 Americans currently detained in Russia, according to Reuters.
Hubbard’s trial is set to continue Thursday. If convicted of participating in mercenary activities, he could face up to 15 years in prison, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
Last week, the U.S. Embassy told The Moscow Times it was “aware of the reports of the arrest of an American citizen in Russia,” referring to Hubbard, but said it could not comment any further.