2 U.S. citizens who joined with Ukrainian soldiers against Russia have been missing.
According to family members, two Americans who went to Ukraine as volunteer fighters against Russian troops have been missing for a week and are believed to have been kidnapped.
Alexander Drueke, 39, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Andy Huynh, 27, of Hartselle, Alabama, were last heard from on June 8 and have not returned from a mission in eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv area.
According to the families and a U.S. State Department spokeswoman, reports that the two soldiers had been taken prisoner of war by Russia are unverified.
Andy’s girlfriend, Joy Black, stated over the phone, “What we know officially from the State Department at this moment is that Andy and Alex are gone.”
“Beyond that, we haven’t had any confirmation. Obviously, the longer we seek, the more we examine alternative possibilities, “she said.
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A request for comment from Russia’s military ministry was not immediately returned.
If the two have been apprehended, they would be the first verified American citizens detained as prisoners of war in the conflict, which started on February 24 when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of its neighbor.
If the accusations are genuine, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. “would do everything we can” to bring them back. find out more
After being found fighting for Ukraine, a rebel court in the unrecognized Russian-speaking Donetsk People’s Republic condemned two British nationals and a Moroccan to death. find out more
Alexander’s mother, Lois Drueke, claimed she had been in touch with the U.S. Embassy for Ukraine in Poland, which was looking for the couple.
Both guys had warned their families on June 8 that they would be offline for a few days, but they didn’t provide any specifics for fear of being intercepted.
Drueke completed two tours in Iraq, the most recent in 2008-09 as the main gunner in Baghdad, according to his mother. Huynh is a former U.S. marine who retired in 2018, according to his girlfriend.
They said the guys had never met before meeting in Ukraine. But after witnessing photographs of civilian fatalities as Russia withdrew from cities outside of Kyiv in late March, they felt obligated to defend the government.
“When Andy watched this film coming out of Ukraine, he said he couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, and was just captivated by the agony these innocent citizens were experiencing,” Black added.
Russia has denied harming civilians and accused Western people of behaving as “mercenaries,” claiming that Western backing for Kyiv prolongs the war and increases deaths.
“Of course, as a mother, I didn’t want my kid to be in danger,” Lois Drueke said. “However, I knew it was essential to Alex; he desired a sense of purpose in his life and believed this was both good and honorable.”
Eric is a professional news editor, writer, and blogger for the last 10 years. He is working with NewsGater as an off-beat news editor cum writer.