A Russian prosecutor requested a seven-year prison sentence for a 72-year-old US man accused of working as a mercenary for Ukraine on Saturday, according to Interfax. The Moscow City Court is holding proceedings in the criminal case of 72-year-old Stefan Hubbard, who allegedly engaged in combat alongside the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) against the Russian military.

The defendant faces charges under the Russian Criminal Code for mercenary activity and was escorted by military police to the courtroom for a hearing Thursday. At the commencement of the hearing, prosecutors formally requested that the trial be conducted behind closed doors, which is standard procedure for high-profile or politically sensitive cases in Russia.

Additional details about the defendant emerged in court during the trial. The defendant is retired and reportedly arrived in Ukraine in 2014 and remained there. According to RIA Novosti, it was alleged that Hubbard signed a $1,000-per-month contract with the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces in February 2022.

Hubbard is set to remain in pre-trial detention until March 25.

As reported by Lenta.ru, since 2014, a total of 785 foreign nationals have been prosecuted in Russia for fighting on behalf of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In August, Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment for donating around 50 dollars to a Ukrainian organization.