Andy Tai Ngoc Huyn and Alex Drucke, two American veterans, traveled to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion. Credit … Through Darla Black, Lois Drucke
The State Department said on Saturday that it had reviewed photos and videos showing two Americans captured in Ukraine, although it declined to comment on the authenticity of the images or the condition of the men.
U.S. officials have been in contact with the men’s families, Ukrainian authorities and the International Committee of the Red Cross, a State Department spokesman said.
The Red Cross declined to comment on the case.
The men, Alex Drucke, 39, and Andy Tai Ngoc Huin, 27, were reported missing by their families last week, and the State Department described them as “captured by Russian forces in Ukraine” on Saturday. Both are US military veterans who volunteer in Ukraine.
The Russian government has not commented publicly on the reports.
Short videos were posted on YouTube on Friday, allegedly showing the two men in which they said in Russian, “I am against the war.” It is not clear when or by whom the videos were recorded.
Russia’s state television, RT, then said it had interviewed the men, claiming they had surrendered to Russian troops and were in a detention center controlled by Russian-backed forces. RT watermarked videos on social media show men individually talking to someone outside the camera about their experiences.
Lois Drucke, Mr Drucke’s mother, said on Saturday that she and other family members were celebrating after seeing the first of the videos, even though it was only a few seconds.
“I’ve seen those from yesterday again and again,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see him and see that he is alive.
The family was convinced that this was Mr. Drucke in the videos because of his “body language, facial expressions, gestures and, most importantly, his soft voice,” said Diana Williams, his aunt. However, the State Department has not yet told the family whether officials believe the videos are authentic.
Mr Drucke, a former US Army sergeant who has served two rounds in Iraq, had previously warned his mother that if he was ever caught, he could be asked to read a screenplay, Ms Williams said. She added that the family understands that everything she says should be taken with disbelief.
“After the great relief we felt when we saw the videos, we also feel scared because we now know that he is in captivity,” she said.
Darla Black, the mother of Mr Huynh’s fiancée, Joy Black, said they were also relieved to see the videos.
“It’s comforting to hear his voice,” said the older Mrs. Black. “We don’t want the situation to be, but as he speaks, he breathes.”
She said the intonation and rhythm of the man’s voice in the video were familiar, although she could not be sure it was Mr Huynh.
Ms Black said the videos reminded her of recordings of Vietnamese prisoners of war. “Everyone knows that prisoners are not free to express their opinions,” she said.
The State Department declined to comment in detail on the case, citing concerns about privacy. But he echoed a warning President Biden issued on Friday when he told reporters: “I want to repeat: Americans should not go to Ukraine now.”
He said the administration did not know the men’s whereabouts.
Last week, a court in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine sentenced three foreign fighters to death, accusing British and Moroccan men of being mercenaries. Western nations have condemned the verdict, and legal experts say the trial appears to have been calculated as a warning to foreign volunteers that if captured, they could be denied protection under the Geneva Conventions.
The conventions governing military law, which Russia has signed, specify that captured volunteers can also be considered prisoners of war. The basic definition of a mercenary under international law is someone who fights primarily for financial gain, who is paid significantly more than the local armed forces.
Add Comment