Russ, Americans in their 70s fighting for Ukra, sentenced to 6 years and 10 months in prison

An American in his 70s who fought against Russia for Ukraine has been sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison in Russia.

A Moscow city court made the decision on the 7th local time, saying 76-year-old Stephen Hubbard was found guilty of participating in hostilities on the side of the Ukrainian military.

He also revealed that he was forfeiting about 4.5 million won, or 142,000 won, of his assets.

The trial was mostly held behind closed doors, and Hubbard pleaded guilty, local media said.

This is the first time an American has been convicted of participating in the Ukrainian military as a mercenary since Russia launched what it called a "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022.

Hubbard, a Michigan native in the U.S., signed with Ukrainian forces in February 2022 and was caught by Russian forces two months later (April) while serving in Izyum's territorial defense unit.

He is said to have lived in Izium in the northeastern Ukrainian state of Kharkiv since 2014 before joining the Ukrainian army.

Hubbard could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison, but Russian prosecutors sought him considering his age.

The recent increase in the number of American arrests in Russia is interpreted as Russia's attempt to use it as a bargaining chip to get back Russians convicted in the West, including the United States.

Russia and the United States exchanged prisoners in August, the largest since the Cold War.