Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh and Alex Drueke, two American veterans who traveled to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion. Credit … Via Darla Black, Lois Drueke
The State Department said on Saturday that it had reviewed photos and videos that appeared to show two Americans captured in Ukraine, although it declined to comment on the authenticity of the images or the conditions of the men.
U.S. officials were in contact with the families of the men, 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 Drueke, 39, and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh, 27, were reported missing last week by their families, and the State Department described them on Saturday as “allegedly captured by the forces. Russian military in Ukraine “. Both are U.S. Army veterans who volunteered to fight in Ukraine.
The Russian government has not publicly commented on the reports.
On Friday, short videos were posted to show the two men on YouTube, saying in Russian, “I’m against the war.” It was not clear when the videos were recorded or by whom.
Russian state broadcaster RT then said it had interviewed the men, alleging that they surrendered to Russian troops and were in a detention center controlled by Russian-backed forces. RT filigree videos circulating on social media showed the men, separately, talking to someone off-camera about their experiences.
Lois Drueke, the mother of Mr. Drueke said Saturday she and other members of her family celebrated after watching the first of the videos, though it only lasted a few seconds.
“I’ve seen yesterday’s ones over and over again,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see him and see that he’s alive.”
The family was confident that it was Mr. Drueke in the videos, for her “body language, facial expressions, gestures and, most importantly, her mellow voice,” said Dianna Williams, her aunt. The State Department, however, has not yet told the family whether officials believe the videos are genuine.
Drueke, a two-time U.S. Army sergeant who toured Iraq, had previously warned his mother that if he was ever held captive, he might be asked to read a script. said Mrs. Williams. He added that the family understood that everything he said had to be taken with a grain of salt.
“After the great relief we felt watching the videos, we also feel apprehensive because we now know that he is in a situation of captivity,” he said.
Darla Black, the mother of Mr. Promise. Huynh, Joy Black, said they were also relieved to see the videos.
“It’s a consolation to hear her voice,” Ms. Black said. “It’s not a situation where we want him to be, but as long as he speaks, he breathes.”
He said the flexion and cadence of the man’s voice in the video was familiar, though they couldn’t be sure it was Mr. Huynh.
Ms. Black said the videos reminded her of recordings of Vietnam War prisoners. “Everyone knows that prisoners are not free to comment,” he said.
The State Department declined to comment on the case in detail, citing privacy concerns. But he reiterated a warning President Biden made on Friday when he told reporters, “I want to reiterate: Americans should not go to Ukraine now.”
He said the administration did not know the location of the men.
Last week, a Russian-occupied court in eastern Ukraine sentenced three foreign fighters to death, accusing the men, from the United Kingdom and Morocco, of being mercenaries. Western nations condemned the verdict, and legal experts said the trial appeared to be a warning to foreign volunteers that if captured, they could be denied protections granted to prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. .
The conventions, which govern the law of war and have been signed by Russia, specify that captured volunteer fighters may also be considered prisoners of war. The main definition of a mercenary under international law is someone who struggles primarily for economic gain who is paid substantially more than the local armed forces.