U.S. Teacher Seized by Russia Is Located in Prison
After months without contact, Stephen James Hubbard, a retired American teacher taken from his eastern Ukrainian home by Russian soldiers shortly after Russia invaded in February 2022, has been located in a Russian prison in Mordovia.
His family had no information on his whereabouts since his criminal conviction last fall. But in recent weeks, he has been able to call one of his sons.
Mr. Hubbard is the only American remaining in Russia who has been designated by the U.S. State Department as 'wrongfully detained,' an indication that the United States believes the charges against him are fabricated. Given the designation, he is likely a top candidate in any potential prisoner exchange being discussed between Russia and the United States.
Mr. Hubbard, now 73, was accused of manning a checkpoint and fighting for Ukraine, and then convicted by Russia of being a mercenary last October and sentenced to almost seven years in a penal colony.
After that, Mr. Hubbard's family was not able to find him in Russia's prison system. In a highly unusual move, the Russian judge removed his case file, even basic information like his lawyer's name, from public view.
Documents reviewed by The New York Times show that Mr. Hubbard is being held in the IK-12 penal colony in Mordovia, the southwestern Russian region commonly referred to as 'prison land.'
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Tuesday, June 10. Russia's War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine
ODESA, UKRAINE - JULY 23: An interior view of the Transfiguration Cathedral heavily damaged by ... More Russian missile on July 23, 2023 in Odesa, Ukraine. The Russian missile broke through the roof the main Orthodox cathedral of the city Photo by Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,204. Russia's Attacks on Ukraine A deadly drone strike in the early overnight hours of June 10th on the southern port city of Odesa killed two men and injured nine other people, damaging a maternity hospital, emergency medical station, railway station, Odesa film studio and other civilian sites. In Kyiv, Russian attack has damaged the Saint Sophia Cathedral – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, systematic shelling by Russian forces in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region killed 10 civilians and injured 31 from June 7 - 10. Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine overnight into June 9, firing a combined total of 499 drones and missiles. The barrage included a record-breaking 479 Iranian-designed Shahed drones and decoys, alongside advanced Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 292 aerial targets, while an additional 187 were neutralized by electronic warfare systems. Ukrainian authorities reported no major civilian damage or casualties from the record-breaking attack, though missile debris and impact sites were recorded at 27 locations across the country. The strike came just days after a large-scale assault on June 6 that killed several civilians and rescue workers in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and other regions. One of the strike's primary targets appeared to be an airfield near the western city of Dubno in Rivne province, which was operational after reportedly being restored in 2020. All four Kinzhal missiles were directed toward Dubno, where they were intercepted by advanced air defenses, such as the U.S.-made Patriot system. The attack on Dubno came amid reports of Ukrainian drones striking deep into Russian territory that same night. Around 50 drones targeted multiple military sites in Russia, including a drone production facility and an airbase in Savasleyka, approximately 218 miles east of Moscow, where two aircraft were destroyed. While Ukraine reported no casualties in the overnight barrage, sustained attacks by Russian forces on Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region later on June 9 resulted in one civilian death. War Developments Russian forces are pushing from Ukraine's besieged eastern region of Donetsk to the outskirts of Ukraine's central and strategically critical Dnipropetrovsk region, sparking conflicting narratives from Moscow and Kyiv. On June 9, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced a Russian advance into Dnipropetrovsk, purportedly aimed at establishing a 'buffer zone,' while Ukrainian officials, including Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's disinformation center, dismissed the claims as false. Earlier reports from the Russian Defense Ministry on June 8 claimed that elements of the 90th Tank Division had reached the western border of the Donetsk region, or oblast, and were conducting offensive operations into Dnipropetrovsk oblast, territory Russia has not officially annexed. However, Ukraine's General Staff denied that Russian troops had crossed the administrative border, asserting that fighting remains confined to border villages. The central Ukrainian oblast of Dnipropetrovsk borders the eastern Donetsk oblast, over two-thirds of which remains under Russian occupation. Ukrainian open-source intelligence group Deep State indicates Russian forces have advanced to within roughly 1.2 miles of the region's administrative boundary. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian tactical activity near the southeastern edge of Dnipropetrovsk is largely a continuation of offensive operations in the Donetsk region rather than a new major push to seize significant territory in Dnipropetrovsk itself. Satellite imagery and heat data confirm ongoing artillery fire near the border but no confirmed Russian foothold inside Dnipropetrovsk oblast as of early June. Russia and Ukraine commenced a major prisoner-of-war exchange on June 9, beginning with those under 25 years of age. This multistage exchange, emerging from direct negotiations held in Istanbul on June 2, is set to involve at least 1,200 POWs from each side, alongside the repatriation of the remains of thousands of fallen soldiers. Neither side disclosed the exact number of prisoners released so far, citing security concerns. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, said that the exchange will continue 'over the coming days.' In an interview with independent Hungarian weekly Valasz Online, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy underscored that the outcome of the war hinges more on weapons and technology than manpower, as Ukraine mobilizes 27,000 soldiers monthly compared to Russia's 40,000-50,000. 'Mobilization is a problem in every war. Ukraine is no exception…people are getting tired,' Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that Russia's higher losses drive its greater conscription numbers. He further noted that Ukraine has avoided drafting 18-24-year-olds, offering them one-year contracts instead. By Danylo Nosov, Karina L. Tahiliani
CNN
11 hours ago
- CNN
‘It was a sense of duty': Former tennis champion on fighting for Ukraine
In 2013, Sergiy Stakhovsky knocked Roger Federer out of Wimbledon. Now he serves with SBU Alpha, the elite unit responsible for the drone strike that knocked Russian aircraft out of combat.
Wall Street Journal
13 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
While Senate Considers Genius Act, Russian Is Charged With Stablecoin Laundering
Criminal charges against a Russian man who allegedly used stablecoins to help his countrymen evade U.S. sanctions highlight the concerns about the cryptocurrencies, just as Congress considers legislation to regulate and legitimize them. Iurii Gugnin, who went by George Goognin, started a fintech company called Evita to help customers move money across borders, including through the use of stablecoins. Through that network, prosecutors say, Gugnin helped foreign customers move roughly $530 million into cryptocurrency wallets and U.S. bank accounts, including from sanctioned Russian banks.
