Stephen Hubbard Spent 54 Months in Russian Custody Before Release
Two former Ukrainian cellmates describe beatings, a stun gun, and medical neglect during the retired teacher's detention.
By Tunde Bailey ·
The Kremlin released 74-year-old Stephen Hubbard after 54 months of detention in Russian prisons. His freedom came on the same day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg to discuss the war in Ukraine. Witkoff described the Russian leader as a humanitarian during the meeting.
Dmytro Khyliuk, a journalist, and Ihor Shyshko, a captured Ukrainian soldier, were imprisoned with Hubbard. Both men say Russian guards targeted the American from the beginning. Khyliuk met Hubbard in September 2022 at the Novozybkov prison in Bryansk, near the Ukrainian border. He recalled officers asking during inspections where the American was held. They used obscene words and threatened him from the first days, Khyliuk said.
Shyshko described a daily routine of physical punishment. He said guards beat Hubbard on the legs, back, and arms. Shyshko also saw the officers use a stun gun on the retired teacher. Hubbard was forced to learn Russian, sing the national anthem, and recite prison rules he could not read. Shyshko stated that Hubbard was denied food and medical care and kept in the cold. He also alleged that staff subjected Hubbard to sexual humiliation for amusement.
The men witnessed Hubbard’s health decline while they shared cells or held neighboring positions. Khyliuk heard Hubbard complain of pain and noticed guards summoning him to the prison doctor with increasing frequency. The prison had broken windows and bitter cold. Detainees used the bathroom to stay warm during their time outside the cells. Khyliuk said conditions at Novozybkov were worse than at the next facility in the line.
Shyshko saw Hubbard at the Pakino prison, where his condition worsened. Shyshko noted that there was no spot on Hubbard’s knees or feet without rot. He bandaged Hubbard at the medical center because the doctor refused to do so. The prisoners ate porridge, bread, and potatoes. Shyshko described a handler setting a dog on prisoners to bite them. He said Hubbard was weak and barely able to move.
Khyliuk claimed officials hid Hubbard from International Red Cross staff soon after the transfer to Pakino. He said the inspectors only saw what was shown to them. The International Committee of the Red Cross stated that it asks to see every individual when granted access. It continues talks with conflict parties on the issue.
Hubbard was captured in April 2022 when Russian soldiers took Izyum, the eastern Ukrainian city where he lived with his partner. A Moscow trial convicted him of serving in Ukraine’s armed forces. He received a sentence of six years and 10 months. Khyliuk returned to Ukraine in August 2025 during a prisoner exchange. He compared the treatment to the Stalin era and called Russian captivity a torture machine. Shyshko said the perpetrators must face justice.
