Former cellmates describe Hubbard abuse

Stephen Hubbard spent four and a half years in Russian custody, a period marked by physical punishment and harsh conditions according to two former cellmates. Dmytro Khyliuk, a journalist, and Ihor Shyshko, a Ukrainian soldier, were imprisoned with Hubbard and described a routine of beatings and humiliation that began immediately upon his arrival.

Khyliuk first encountered Hubbard in September 2022 at the Novozybkov prison in Bryansk. He stated that guards singled out the American from the start, asking during inspections which cell held him. Khyliuk said officers used obscene language, threatened Hubbard, and mocked him from the first days of his detention.

Shyshko recalled that Hubbard was forced to learn Russian, sing the national anthem, and recite prison rules he could not read. Shyshko said he witnessed guards beating Hubbard on the legs, back, and arms. He also stated that Hubbard was shocked with a stun gun, denied food and medical care, and kept in cold conditions. Shyshko alleged that prison staff subjected Hubbard to sexual humiliation for their amusement.

Hubbard was captured in April 2022 in Izyum, an eastern Ukrainian city he shared with his partner. Russian forces occupied the area, and Hubbard was accused 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 align with statements made by Hubbard's family regarding his treatment.

Conditions at Novozybkov were described as severe. Khyliuk noted that Hubbard's health declined over several months. He could hear Hubbard complain, and guards summoned him to the prison doctor with increasing frequency. Khyliuk described broken windows and bitter cold, noting that detainees huddled in bathrooms for warmth during exercise time. He said conditions at Novozybkov were worse than at the next prison on the route.

The men met Hubbard again at the Pakino prison, where Shyshko said his condition worsened. Shyshko stated that Hubbard's knees and feet had no spots without rot. He recalled bandaging Hubbard at the medical center because the doctor refused. Shyshko described Hubbard as weak and barely able to move. The prisoners described a diet of porridge, bread, and potatoes, alongside a daily routine of beatings, forced running, and stress positions. Shyshko also said a handler once set a dog on prisoners to bite them.

Khyliuk claimed that shortly after the transfer to Pakino, Hubbard was hidden from visiting International Red Cross staff to conceal his condition. Khyliuk said the inspectors only saw what was shown to them and were satisfied with that view. The International Committee of the Red Cross stated that it asks to see every individual wherever it is granted access and continues talks with conflict parties on the issue.

Khyliuk said Hubbard vanished from the prison in 2024, leading him to assume he had been released. Khyliuk returned to Ukraine in August 2025 in a prisoner exchange. He compared the treatment to the Stalin era and described Russian captivity as a torture machine. The Kremlin released Hubbard, 74, on October 23, the day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. Witkoff called the Russian president a humanitarian, while President Donald Trump said he had asked Putin to free Hubbard in a phone call the previous week. Khyliuk noted it was not Hubbard's war but called the timing shameful PR for the US president losing votes in Congress elections. Shyshko said he hopes the perpetrators will face justice, stating that evil must be punished and so it will be.