Sister of American Stephen Hubbard says he’s in disbelief following release by Russia
DENVER (AP) — The younger sister of Stephen Hubbard, the American freed Wednesday after spending more than four years in a Russian prison, said she spoke with her brother by phone and described him as being in disbelief.
The younger sister of Stephen Hubbard, an American freed from a Russian prison, revealed that her brother was in disbelief upon his release on Wednesday. Patricia Hubbard Fox told The Associated Press that her brother was laughing and said, "I can't believe this is happening." She noted that he had been in prison for over four years and had suffered from beatings and starvation.
Hubbard Fox confirmed that her brother was healthy when he was "kidnapped" in 2022 and accused of fighting with Ukrainian forces. He was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison during closed court proceedings in 2024, an allegation the U.S. government has labeled as wrongful detention. Hubbard, a U.S. Air Force veteran, had moved to Ukraine to be with a woman he had met and was living there when Russia invaded.
His sister, who has been sleeping on her couch for four years in solidarity with her brother, said her brother would likely return to Colorado to live with her.
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