Ukrainian Detainees Describe Beatings and Cold in Hubbard's Prison Years

The Kremlin released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American citizen, after he spent four and a half years in Russian custody. The former English teacher was freed on the same day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg to discuss the war in Ukraine. Witkoff referred to the Russian president as a humanitarian, while President Donald Trump stated he had requested Hubbard's release during a phone call the previous week.

Two Ukrainian prisoners who shared cells with Hubbard describe a period of systematic physical abuse and medical neglect. Dmytro Khyliuk, a journalist, first met Hubbard in September 2022 at the Novozybkov prison in Bryansk, located near the border. Khyliuk said Russian guards singled out the American during inspections, using obscene language and threats from the beginning. Ihor Shyshko, a captured soldier, confirmed that Hubbard's nationality attracted the attention of prison officers.

Shyshko detailed specific acts of violence and humiliation. He said guards forced Hubbard to learn Russian, sing the national anthem, and recite prison rules he could not read. Shyshko witnessed guards beating Hubbard on the legs, back, and arms, and shocking him with a stun gun. The detainee was also denied food and medical care while kept in cold conditions. Shyshko alleged that prison staff subjected Hubbard to sexual humiliation and abuse for their own amusement.

The men reported that Hubbard's health deteriorated rapidly while awaiting trial. Khyliuk, who occupied a neighboring cell, heard Hubbard complain frequently and observed guards summoning him to the prison doctor with increasing regularity. Khyliuk described broken windows and bitter cold at Novozybkov, noting that detainees huddled in bathrooms for warmth during their time outside cells. He stated that conditions there were worse than at the next prison facility.

After a transfer to the Pakino prison, Shyshko said Hubbard's condition worsened further. He described visible rot on Hubbard's knees and feet, with no intact skin. When the prison doctor refused to treat Hubbard, Shyshko bandaged the wounds himself. Hubbard was described as weak and barely able to move. The daily routine included a diet of porridge, bread, and potatoes, alongside forced running, stress positions, and beatings. Shyshko also recalled a handler setting a dog on prisoners to bite them.

Khyliuk claimed that shortly after the transfer to Pakino, prison officials hid Hubbard to conceal his physical state from visiting International Red Cross staff. The Red Cross stated that it asks to see every individual where granted access and continues talks with conflict parties. Khyliuk said Hubbard disappeared from the prison in 2024, leading him to assume a release. Khyliuk himself returned to Ukraine in August 2025 through a prisoner exchange. He compared the treatment to the Stalin era and called Russian captivity a torture machine.

Khyliuk expressed relief at Hubbard's freedom, noting it was not his war. He described the timing of the release as shameful public relations for the US president, who is facing upcoming congressional elections. Shyshko stated he hopes the perpetrators will face justice, asserting that evil must be punished.