Parts of a recent chat with her son, according to the mother of one of the two American soldiers taken by Russian forces, seemed to be “written.”
On June 11, when their group came under heavy fire in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine close to the Russian border, Alexander Drueke, 40, and Andy Huynh, 27, both of Alabama, were taken prisoner by Russian soldiers.
Tuesday night, Drueke’s mother, Lois “Bunny” Drueke of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, called her son and spoke with him for ten minutes.
Bunny asserted that she thought some of the dialogue did not seem to be coming from him directly.
It was evident that two things were occurring, she said in an interview with Good Morning America (GMA). One, I could tell when he was giving me a rehearsed response. The other things he was saying, though, were just normal, everyday talks that mothers actually value.
Since their capture, Russia has released a number of videos featuring the two troops.
The men now appear less afraid than they did in earlier videos.
Despite having made separate trips to aid Ukraine, Drueke and Huynh grew close there in part due to their shared Alabama heritage, according to family members.
At least two American citizens were reportedly abducted by separatist troops in Ukraine that were supported by Russia, according to the U.S. State Department, which said it was looking into the accusations.
Upon confirmation, they would be the first Americans known to have been taken prisoner since the conflict started on February 24.
Bunny reported that her son claimed he had been given food, water, and bedding and that his captors were eager to start discussions.
“It was fantastic to hear his voice and know he’s alive and okay,” she added.
“He sounded tired and agitated, and he was plainly reciting some things he had been required to practice or read.”
His mother added that Drueke claimed he hadn’t spoken to Huynh in a few days.
Both men should be safeguarded as prisoners of war in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, according to the United States.
Although Huynh’s family has been unable to reach him, they expressed their happiness for the Drueke family.
Joy Black, Huyhn’s fiancée, told the Associated Press, “We are still hoping to get a similar communication from Andy.”
Black told GMA that because she knows her fiancé is still alive, she views the recordings as “an encouraging sign to stay hopeful.”
It’s difficult to put into words how I felt, but I was simply relieved to see and hear him.
She told GMA, “It was extremely energizing to at least get to watch more recent film of him.
The Kremlin had threatened Drueke, a former US Marine, and Huynh, a former US Army veteran, that they risked being executed for being what it referred to as “soldiers of fortune.”
The Kremlin claimed that because the guys hadn’t joined in the foreign force they were fighting with, they were ineligible for the privileges granted to prisoners of war taken prisoner by adversaries.
This week, Drueke’s mother expressed her optimism that the two inmates’ safety will be ensured by the attention being paid to them on a global scale, including that of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
She expressed gratitude to President Zelensky for paying attention to their condition.
The White House has not communicated with the Russian embassy about the two Americans being held captive for fighting in Ukraine, the US Ambassador to Russia said last week.
The allegation was made on Tuesday by Anatoly Antonov, the head of the diplomatic mission, in remarks to reporters from the state-run Russian News Agency (TASS).
The ambassador’s remarks refuted allegations made by the U.S. State Department earlier in the day that officials had discussed the detained Americans with the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon maintains that it is doing “everything” in its power to bring Drueke and Huynh home safely.
However, Antonov reportedly disagrees, as reported by official media.
“The embassy received no requests.” According to the ambassador, “I do not confirm receiving a request of this nature from the US side.”
The embassy didn’t get in touch with us,
Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, said earlier in the day that the White House had spoken to Moscow regarding the hostages.