Stephen Hubbard: Ukrainian Cellmates Detail Years of Brutality in Russian Custody

Four and a half years is the duration of the captivity that defined the final chapter of Stephen Hubbard’s life before his recent release. The 74-year-old American was finally granted freedom on October 23, a move that coincided with high-level diplomatic discussions in St. Petersburg. While the Kremlin presented the event as a gesture of goodwill, former cellmates in Ukraine are offering a starkly different account of his time behind bars. They detail a period marked by consistent physical mistreatment and institutional neglect.

Two Ukrainians who shared a prison with Hubbard provide specific testimony regarding the abuse he suffered. Dmytro Khyliuk, a journalist, first encountered the American at Novozybkov in September 2022. According to Khyliuk, Russian guards immediately identified Hubbard as a target. He recalled officers conducting inspections specifically to locate the American, using derogatory language and issuing threats from the very first days of his detention. This early hostility set the tone for the months that followed.

Ihor Shyshko, a captured soldier, corroborates these early accounts and adds further details about the daily regimen. He noted that Hubbard’s status as a foreigner drew significant attention from the staff. The American was required to learn the local language, sing the national anthem, and memorize prison regulations that he could not read. Shyshko witnessed guards striking Hubbard on his legs, back, and arms. He also observed the use of a stun gun. According to Shyshko, Hubbard was frequently denied food and medical attention while being kept in freezing conditions.

The physical toll on Hubbard became apparent to his cellmates over time. Khyliuk described the deterioration of the American’s health while they were housed in adjacent cells. He heard Hubbard’s complaints and noted that guards increasingly summoned him to the prison doctor. The facilities at Novozybkov were described as having broken windows and intense cold. Detainees often spent their time outside their cells huddled in bathrooms to find warmth. Khyliuk stated that conditions there were inferior to those at the next facility in the chain.

Hubbard was later transferred to Pakino, where his condition reportedly worsened. Shyshko described severe rot on Hubbard’s knees and feet. He recalled bandaging the American at the medical center after a doctor refused to do so. Hubbard was so weak that he had difficulty moving. The daily routine included a diet of porridge, bread, and potatoes, alongside regular beatings, forced running, and stress positions. Shyshko also mentioned that a staff member sometimes set a dog on prisoners to bite them.

Khyliuk alleges that Hubbard was hidden from International Red Cross inspectors shortly after the transfer to Pakino. The goal, he said, was to conceal the man’s true state of health. Khyliuk stated that the inspectors were shown a curated view of the facility. The International Committee of the Red Cross responded that it requests access to every individual when granted entry and continues to engage with conflict parties on these matters. Khyliuk later noticed Hubbard missing from the prison in 2024 and assumed he had been released.

The release of Hubbard occurred on the same day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg to discuss the ongoing war. Witkoff referred to the Russian president as a humanitarian following the meeting. President Donald Trump stated that he had requested the American’s freedom during a phone call with Putin the previous week. The timing of the release has drawn commentary from those who shared Hubbard’s fate.

Khyliuk, who returned to Ukraine in August 2025 through a prisoner exchange, expressed relief that Hubbard was free, noting that the conflict was not his war. However, he criticized the timing as shameless political promotion by the US president ahead of congressional elections. He compared the overall treatment in Russian custody to the Stalin era, describing the system as a torture machine. Shyshko remains hopeful that those responsible for the abuse will eventually face justice, asserting that evil must be punished.

The two men’s accounts align with statements made by Hubbard’s family regarding the torture he endured. Hubbard was captured in April 2022 when Russian forces took Izyum, the city where he lived with his Ukrainian partner. He was accused of serving in the Ukrainian armed forces, tried in Moscow, and sentenced to six years and ten months. His release marks a significant moment in the broader context of the war, highlighting the personal costs of geopolitical negotiations.