Russian justice must rule on Monday on the fate of a 72-year-old American, accused of having been a “mercenary” in the service of Ukraine, detained in secret for more than two years and tried behind closed doors.
This septuagenarian, identified by the media as Stefan or Stephen Hubbard, was taken prisoner on April 2, 2022, but it was not until September 27, 2024 that Moscow made public the fact that he was detained, on the occasion of the first day of his trial.
Accused of “mercenarism” on behalf of Ukraine, he faces a sentence of between 7 and 15 years in prison. According to the prosecution, he joined a Ukrainian territorial defense battalion, made up of volunteer soldiers, and, as such, was paid “at least $1,000 per month”, underwent training, received a uniform and weapons and “took part in the armed conflict” in Ukraine.
The Russian army announced Monday that it had shot down 21 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 12 over the territory of Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Russia. Six others over the Kursk region, scene of a major Ukrainian offensive since the beginning of August.
“During the night, attempts by the kyiv regime to carry out terrorist attacks with aerial drones against sites on Russian territory were prevented,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
This Monday, October 7 marks the 957th day of war between Russia and Ukraine. Follow with us the latest information on the conflict.
