A 72-year-old American was sentenced by a Russian court to almost seven years in prison for allegedly fighting in Ukraine as a mercenary.

Prosecutors claimed that Hubbard, who had been residing in Ukraine since 2014, joined a territorial defense unit in Izyum, Ukraine, during the early stages of the conflict. He was reportedly promised a monthly salary of at least $1,000. His defense team intends to appeal the conviction, according to state media Tass.

A Russian court has sentenced a 72-year-old American to nearly seven years in prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.

A Russian court on Monday sentenced a 72-year-old U.S. citizen to six years and 10 months in prison after convicting him in a closed-door trial of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine, a Reuters reporter in the courtroom said.

Stephen Hubbard is the first American known to have been convicted on charges of fighting as a mercenary in the Ukraine-Russia war.

A 72-year-old American, Stephen Hubbard, was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine amid ongoing conflict.

Investigators said Hubbard, a native of Michigan, was paid $1,000 per month to serve in a Ukrainian territorial defence unit in the eastern city of Izyum, where he had been living since 2014

Stephen Hubbard, who moved to Ukraine in 2014, was captured by Russian soldiers in Izyum in April 2022, and was charged with serving in a territorial defense unit.