Ukrainian detainees detail beatings and cold endured by Stephen Hubbard
Two former cellmates describe physical abuse and neglect in Russian prisons that align with claims made by the American's family.
By Ivan Dvorak ·
Two Ukrainians who shared cells with freed American Stephen Hubbard say they witnessed Russian guards beating and shocking the 74-year-old man during his four and a half years in custody. Dmytro Khyliuk, a journalist, first met Hubbard in September 2022 at the Novozybkov prison in Bryansk, a facility located near the Ukrainian border. Khyliuk stated that guards singled out the American immediately. He recalled inspections where officers asked which cell held the American and used obscene language. They threatened and mocked Hubbard from the first days of his detention.
Ihor Shyshko, a captured Ukrainian soldier, also observed the treatment Hubbard received upon arrival. Shyshko said guards forced Hubbard to learn Russian, sing the national anthem, and recite prison rules that he could not read. Shyshko reported seeing guards strike Hubbard on the legs, back, and arms. He added that they used a stun gun on him. Hubbard was denied food and medical care and kept in cold conditions. Shyshko further alleged that prison staff subjected Hubbard to sexual humiliation and abuse for their amusement.
Hubbard was captured in April 2022 in Izyum, an eastern Ukrainian city he shared with his partner. Russian soldiers accused him of serving in Ukraine's armed forces. A Moscow court convicted him and sentenced him to six years and ten months. The two Ukrainians were held with him while he awaited trial. Their accounts support statements made by Hubbard's family regarding the torture he endured in prison.
Khyliuk described a steady decline in Hubbard's health while they remained in neighboring cells at Novozybkov. Khyliuk heard Hubbard complain frequently, and guards summoned him to the prison doctor with increasing regularity. Khyliuk noted broken windows and bitter cold in the facility. Detainees huddled in bathrooms for warmth during their time outside cells. He said conditions at Novozybkov were worse than at the next prison in the chain.
The men reunited with Hubbard at the Pakino prison, where Shyshko said his condition worsened. Shyshko described rot covering Hubbard's knees and feet. He recalled bandaging Hubbard at the medical center because the doctor refused to treat him. Shyshko said Hubbard was weak and barely able to move. The prisoners ate porridge, bread, and potatoes. Their daily routine included beatings, forced running, and stress positions. Shyshko also described a handler setting a dog on prisoners to bite them.
Khyliuk claimed that prison staff hid Hubbard shortly after the transfer to Pakino to conceal his condition from International Red Cross visitors. He said the Red Cross staff saw only what was shown to them and were satisfied with the presentation. The International Committee of the Red Cross stated that it asks to see every individual when granted access and continues talks with conflict parties on the issue.
Khyliuk said Hubbard disappeared from the prison in 2024, leading him to assume the American had been released. Khyliuk returned to Ukraine in August 2025 through a prisoner exchange. He compared the treatment in Russian captivity to the Stalin era. He called the system a torture machine. The Kremlin released Hubbard on the day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. Witkoff described Putin as a humanitarian. President Donald Trump said he asked Putin to free Hubbard during a phone call the previous week. Khyliuk said the timing was shameful public relations for a president losing votes in congressional elections. Shyshko said he hopes the perpetrators face justice. He stated that evil must be punished.
