Two American volunteers combating in Ukraine seem to have been captured by Russia final week, a number of sources inform Rolling Stone. Each males are U.S. navy veterans and volunteered to battle with Ukraine’s Worldwide Territorial Protection Pressure, or international legion, in keeping with the sources.
A international volunteer serving within the unit the 2 Individuals had been accompanying offered particular particulars in regards to the incident that led to their seize throughout a battle close to Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, on June ninth. The volunteer spoke to Rolling Stone given that his identify and nationality not be revealed. “Our workforce was remoted and ended up in opposition to artillery, tanks, and BMPs [armored vehicles],” the international fighter says.
One a part of the workforce engaged a BMP with an RPG-22 – a lightweight anti-armor rocket launcher – in an effort to sluggish the Russian advance. However the tank following behind it fired on the Individuals’ place, the supply tells Rolling Stone.
“We thought they had been useless,” the volunteer recollects. “Our workforce broke contact earlier than we may very well be overrun. They [the two Americans] by no means made it again to Ukrainian traces.”
Video taken by the workforce of international volunteers of the combating on June ninth exhibits intense fight in a densely wooded space.
The day after the battle, the volunteer says, a Ukrainian intelligence officer knowledgeable the unit that intercepted Russian communications claimed two Individuals had been captured close to Kharkiv.
The households of the lads had been knowledgeable by a member of the volunteer group, and the U.S. authorities is conscious of the state of affairs, the volunteer says.
The U.Okay. Telegraph was the primary outlet to establish the 2 Individuals: They’re Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27. The international volunteer, who initially would supply solely the noms de guerre of the Individuals, confirmed their identities as soon as the data was made public.
Drueke — who makes use of the decision signal “Bama” — was a 12-year veteran of the U.S. Army, whereas Huynh — who makes use of the decision signal “Hate” — was a four-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, the volunteer says.
In an e mail to Rolling Stone, an Army spokesperson confirmed that Drueke had served within the Army Reserve from September 2002 to October 2014 as a chemical operations specialist, finishing his service on the rank of workers sergeant. Drueke deployed twice, as soon as to Kuwait from December 2004 to December 2005 and a second time to Iraq from November 2008 to July 2009.
The Marine Corps didn’t reply to a request for Huynh’s service file in time for publication.
The Drueke household issued a press release per the account offered by the volunteer. The household stated Drueke’s mom “obtained a telephone name from one other member of the platoon within the early hours of Monday, June thirteenth to tell her of the skirmish and the seek for the 2 lacking Individuals.”
“Reconnaissance on foot and by drone haven’t turned up indicators of Drueke or the opposite American,” the assertion stated.
“This might imply they’re in hiding, or it may imply they’ve been captured,” Drueke’s mom, Bunny Drueke, was quoted as saying within the assertion.
After being knowledgeable in regards to the intelligence intercepts, the Territorial Protection Pressure workforce has obtained no additional info from both Ukrainian or American officers. “It’s been per week,” the volunteer says. “Who is aware of what the Russians are doing?”
When requested for details about the reported incident, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian protection ministry stated solely that he may neither verify nor deny it presently.
A separate U.S. authorities supply with data of the incident confirmed that Washington was working to find the 2 males and — if they’re certainly alive and in Russian palms — would try to safe their launch. Nevertheless, the supply cautioned, Moscow would have little incentive to barter the short launch of any American prisoners.
Kharkiv, Ukraine, on April twenty seventh, close to the place the 2 Individuals had been reportedly captured
Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Instances/Getty Photos)
The U.S. State Division issued a press release acknowledging it was conscious of the incident, however stopped wanting confirming any particulars. “We’re conscious of unconfirmed stories of two U.S. residents captured in Ukraine. We’re carefully monitoring the state of affairs and are involved with Ukrainian authorities. As a consequence of privateness concerns, now we have no additional remark,” a State Division spokesperson stated. “We additionally as soon as once more reiterate U.S. residents shouldn’t journey to Ukraine because of the energetic armed battle and the singling out of U.S. residents in Ukraine by Russian authorities safety officers, and that U.S. residents in Ukraine ought to depart instantly whether it is secure to take action utilizing any industrial or different privately obtainable ground-transportation choices.”
Hundreds of foreigners from greater than 55 international locations have volunteered to defend Ukraine in opposition to Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian officers have stated. Along with participating within the protection of Kyiv and counteroffensives surrounding Kharkiv, volunteers with Ukraine’s international legion are participating within the protection of Severodonetsk, in keeping with frontline stories from Radio Liberty, a U.S.-government-funded media outlet.
Rolling Stone is conscious of at the least seven different Individuals — most of them former U.S. navy — presently engaged in fight on the frontlines with out having “formally” joined the international legion, ostensibly having traveled to Ukraine to “practice and advise” native protection forces or present medical help.
Ukrainian protection officers discourage this apply and urge foreigners hoping to get immediately concerned within the nation’s protection to use to the international legion via official channels, in order that they are often vetted and accredited earlier than coming to Ukraine.
However within the chaos on the frontlines, quite a few foreigners have been in a position to immediately take part in hostilities by establishing relationships with native navy contacts. A few of these people have by no means served within the navy, have by no means skilled fight, and have by no means obtained specialised coaching appropriate for a battlefield function. That the foreigners are there’s a appropriate sufficient qualification for some Ukrainian models.
The workforce that the 2 Individuals had been working with, nonetheless, was composed primarily of seasoned and skilled fight veterans from a number of international locations, formally connected to a Ukrainian navy unit by way of the international legion, the international volunteer says. He wouldn’t disclose whether or not the 2 Individuals had been accompanying the unit to advise, conduct medical help, or to battle.
One American has already been killed combating for Ukraine. In April, Willy Joseph Cancel died whereas serving with the international legion, though the exact particulars surrounding his dying stay unclear. Cancel, 22, had been court docket martialed in August 2020 for unspecified fees, and subsequently involuntarily separated from the U.S. Marine Corps. He had been working as a corrections officer in Tennessee earlier than making his method to Ukraine in March.
No less than three international nationals have lately been captured combating for Ukraine, together with two British and a Moroccan citizen, who had been sentenced to dying by pro-Russian officers in Donetsk. Aidan Aislin, Shaun Pinner, and Brahim Saadoun are set to face a firing squad, the Russian information company RIA Novosti reported final week. Native officers for the Russian-backed breakaway state Donetsk Individuals’s Republic declare that the lads are criminals, and due to this fact are usually not entitled to the same old protections accorded to prisoners of struggle.
Within the first weeks of the battle, a spokesperson for Russia’s protection ministry, Igor Konashenkov, instructed state media outlet TASS that international “mercenaries” captured whereas combating with Ukraine wouldn’t be handled as prisoners of struggle, saying “at greatest, they’ll count on to be prosecuted as criminals.”
Russia’s Ministry of International Affairs didn’t reply to a request for details about the standing of the 2 Individuals. However on Russian state TV there have been already discussions that the 2 Individuals could face the dying penalty.
