Ukraine war: captured US fighters Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh surface in Russian state TV videos

Drueke expressed his love for his mother while Huynh said the duo had been ‘engaged in combat with Russian troops’ near Kharkiv in clips shared by RT channel

Earlier, President Biden said he did not know the whereabouts of the military veterans whose relatives lost contact with the pair

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US military veteran Alexander Drueke with his mother in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. File photo: Louis Drueke/Handout via Reuters

Published: 12:45pm, 18 Jun 2022Updated: 1:30pm, 18 Jun 2022

A Russian state TV channel aired videos on social media of two Americans who went missing last week while fighting alongside the Ukrainian army, stating they had been captured by Russian forces.

United States President Joe Biden had said earlier Friday he did not know the whereabouts of Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh, both US military veterans whose relatives lost contact with the pair.

The missing Americans – including a third identified as a former US Marines captain – are believed to be part of an unknown number of mostly military veterans who have joined other foreigners to volunteer alongside Ukrainian troops.

On Friday evening, Russian journalist Roman Kosarev – who works with state TV RT channel – posted a video on messaging platform Telegram of Drueke speaking facing the camera.

“Mom, I just want to let you know that I’m alive and I hope to be back home as soon as I can be,” said Drueke, who was seated in what appeared to be an office and dressed in military fatigues.

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