Prison Torture: Former Cellmates Detail Abuse of Freed US Citizen

Former Ukrainian prisoners claim Russian guards systematically beat and humiliated American citizen Stephen Hubbard while he was held in captivity for over four years. Two men who shared cells with Hubbard say they witnessed the abuse firsthand, contradicting the image of a standard detention and adding weight to allegations of severe mistreatment.

Hubbard was captured in April 2022 when Russian forces took Izyum, the eastern Ukrainian city where he lived. A retired English teacher, he was accused of serving in Ukraine's armed forces. A Moscow court convicted him and sentenced him to six years and ten months. During his imprisonment, he was held alongside Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Khyliuk and soldier Ihor Shyshko.

Khyliuk met Hubbard in September 2022 at the Novozybkov prison in Bryansk. He stated that guards singled out the American from the start, using obscene language and threats during inspections. Shyshko, who arrived around the same time, said Hubbard was forced to learn Russian, sing the national anthem, and recite prison rules he could not read. Shyshko reported seeing guards hit Hubbard on the legs, back, and arms, and said they used a stun gun on him. Hubbard was also denied food and medical care.

Conditions deteriorated as Hubbard moved to the Pakino prison. Shyshko described Hubbard's physical state as worsening, noting that his knees and feet were covered in sores. Shyshko said he had to bandage Hubbard himself because the prison doctor refused. The men described a daily routine involving forced running, stress positions, and beatings. Shyshko also recounted an incident where a guard set a dog on prisoners to bite them.

Khyliuk claimed that after the transfer to Pakino, guards hid Hubbard from visiting International Red Cross staff to conceal his condition. The Red Cross stated it asks to see every individual when granted access and continues talks with the parties to the conflict. Khyliuk believed Hubbard was released in 2024 after he vanished from the prison. Khyliuk himself was returned to Ukraine in August 2025 during a prisoner exchange.

The Kremlin released Hubbard, who is 74, on October 23, 2026. The release coincided with a meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. Witkoff referred to the Russian leader as a humanitarian, while President Donald Trump said he had requested Hubbard's freedom during a phone call the previous week. Khyliuk described the timing as shameful political strategy, while Shyshko said the perpetrators must face justice.