The Moscow City Court on Monday sentenced U.S. retiree Stephen Hubbard to six years and 10 months in a penal colony on charges of fighting against Russia in Ukraine.

“The court finds Hubbard guilty of a crime under Article 359, Section 3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and rules to impose a prison term of six years and 10 months to be served in a general-regime penal colony,” the judge said in court.

The court also ruled that 142,000 hryvnias ($3,400) found in Mr Hubbard’s possession should be confiscated. Most of the trial was held behind closed doors.

Mr Hubbard pleaded guilty.

His lawyer, who preferred not to introduce himself, told Sputnik that the defence would appeal the sentence.

Mr Hubbard has to serve less than half of the sentence because he has been in custody since April 2, 2022, and has been in prison under the “day for day and a half’’ scheme, meaning he has already served over 3.5 years, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

The judge said the American will also be eligible for parole in the future, so he is unlikely to be imprisoned for more than three years.

Stephen James Hubbard of Michigan (also known as Steven James Humberd), 72, has lived in Ukraine since 2014.

In February 2022, the man signed a contract with the Ukrainian armed forces. He served in a territorial defence unit in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum before he was captured by Russian soldiers in April of that same year.

(Sputnik/NAN)