Former Ukrainian inmates say US citizen was tortured in Russian jail

Stephen Hubbard, 74, allegedly beaten, electrocuted and sexually abused during four-year detention

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published24 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Two former Ukrainian prisoners have described witnessing US citizen Stephen Hubbard being subjected to beatings, electrocution and sexual humiliation by Russian prison guards during his four-year detention, in accounts that corroborate his family's allegations of torture.

Former Ukrainian prisoners Dmytro Khyliuk and Ihor Shyshko, who were held alongside Stephen Hubbard in Russian prisons, have told the BBC that they saw the 74-year-old American repeatedly beaten, electrocuted with a stun gun, and humiliated by guards. They said the abuse was more severe because of his nationality, with guards calling him a mercenary and saying "let's beat him".

Hubbard was captured in April 2022 in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum, where he was living with his partner. He was convicted in a Moscow trial of serving in Ukraine's armed forces and sentenced to six years and 10 months. He was released by the Kremlin after four-and-a-half years, on the day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg.

Khyliuk said guards routinely asked "in which cell is the American?" and then used obscene words. Shyshko alleged that Hubbard was forced to learn Russian, sing the national anthem, and subjected to sexual humiliation for the entertainment of prison staff. Both men described harsh conditions: broken windows, biting cold, a diet of porridge and bread, and beatings that left Hubbard with rotting skin on his knees and feet. Shyshko said he bandaged Hubbard when a doctor refused.

Khyliuk claimed that Hubbard was hidden from a team of International Red Cross visitors at one prison to conceal his condition. The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that in any situation where it has been granted access, it requests to see every individual and assess conditions, and that it continues discussions with parties to the conflict.

US President Donald Trump said he had asked Putin to free Hubbard during a phone call the week before. Witkoff praised Putin as a "humanitarian" despite Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Khyliuk described the timing of Hubbard's release as "shameful PR" by Trump. Shyshko said he hoped the torturers would face justice: "Evil must be punished, and so it will be."

Analysis

Why This Matters

The allegations detail conditions that may amount to war crimes under international law, adding to evidence of systematic abuse in Russian detention facilities.
The timing of Hubbard's release, tied to US-Russia negotiations over Ukraine, underscores how prisoner swaps are used as diplomatic leverage.
If confirmed, the torture of a US citizen could further strain already hostile bilateral relations and prompt calls for accountability.

Background

Stephen Hubbard, a retired English teacher from the US, was living in eastern Ukraine when Russia invaded in February 2022. He was captured in Izyum in April 2022 and convicted in a Russian court of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine, a charge he denied. His family claimed he was tortured in custody. Russia has a record of holding foreign nationals as bargaining chips, and previous prisoner exchanges have drawn attention to harsh prison conditions. The two former Ukrainian prisoners who provided these accounts, Dmytro Khyliuk and Ihor Shyshko, were themselves captured shortly after the invasion and later released in prisoner swaps.

Key Perspectives

Dmytro Khyliuk and Ihor Shyshko: they witnessed Hubbard being beaten, electrocuted, starved, denied medical care, and subjected to sexual humiliation by Russian guards, with treatment worse than that of Ukrainian detainees because he was American. Hubbard's family: they have previously stated that Hubbard was tortured in prison, and the former prisoners' accounts corroborate those statements. International Committee of the Red Cross: the ICRC said that where it is granted access, it requests to see every individual and assess conditions, and continues discussions with parties to the conflict.

What to Watch

Whether the US government demands an independent investigation into the allegations of torture.
If further former detainees come forward with similar accounts of abuse in Russian prisons.
The potential impact on future prisoner exchange negotiations between the US and Russia.

Sources

Freed US citizen was tortured in Russian jail, former Ukrainian prisoners say · BBC News

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 8 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedFormer Ukrainian prisoners say US citizen Stephen Hubbard was tortured in a Russian jail.BBC News: “Freed US citizen was tortured in Russian jail, former Ukrainian prisoners say.”
SupportedHubbard was 74.BBC News: “The 74-year-old was released by the Kremlin after four-and-a-half years”
SupportedHubbard was allegedly beaten, electrocuted and sexually abused during his four-year detention.BBC News: “Shyshko said he witnessed and heard Hubbard being beaten by prison guards and electrocuted with a stun gun. [...] Shyshko, a captured Ukrainian soldier, alleges Hubbard was subjected to sexual humiliation and abuse for the entertainment of the prison staff.”
Partly supportedBoth former prisoners described witnessing Hubbard being beaten, electrocuted and sexually humiliated.BBC News: “Shyshko said he witnessed and heard Hubbard being beaten by prison guards and electrocuted with a stun gun. [...] Shyshko [...] alleges Hubbard was subjected to sexual humiliation and abuse”
SupportedGuards treated Hubbard more harshly because he was American, called him a mercenary and said, “let’s beat him”.BBC News: ““He was always treated more harshly, because he was an American. They claimed he was a mercenary, and said 'let's beat him'.””
Partly supportedHubbard was convicted of serving in Ukraine’s armed forces.BBC News: “He was accused of serving in Ukraine's armed forces and convicted in a trial in Moscow before being sentenced to six years and 10 months.”
SupportedHubbard was released after four-and-a-half years on the day Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg.BBC News: “The 74-year-old was released by the Kremlin after four-and-a-half years, on the day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg to discuss the war in Ukraine.”
Not in the sourcesBeatings left Hubbard with rotting skin on his knees and feet.BBC News: ““There was not a single spot on his knees or on his feet without rot,” he said. [...] Shyshko said he witnessed and heard Hubbard being beaten by prison guards”
SupportedKhyliuk said Hubbard was hidden from Red Cross visitors to conceal his condition.BBC News: “Khyliuk claimed that soon after their transfer to Pakino, Hubbard was hidden to conceal his condition from a team of International Red Cross visitors.”
SupportedTrump said he had asked Putin to free Hubbard during a phone call the week before.BBC News: “US President Donald Trump said he had asked Putin to free Hubbard during a phone call the week before.”
SupportedKhyliuk described the timing of Hubbard’s release as “shameful PR” by Trump.BBC News: “But he described the timing as “shameful PR of the US president, who is losing votes in elections to Congress”.”