Two US residents in Ukraine feared captured by Russia

Two Americans who volunteered to help Ukraine have gone lacking and are feared to have been taken prisoner by Russia, officers and relations mentioned Wednesday.

Captive Americans would add one other layer of complexity to efforts by the United States, which is pumping billions of {dollars} into Ukraine however making an attempt to avoid direct confrontation with Russia.

Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh, each US army veterans who had been dwelling in Alabama, misplaced contact with their households after fight in Ukraine.

Drueke’s mom reached out earlier this week, mentioned her native congresswoman, Terri Sewell.

“According to his family, they have not heard from Drueke in several days,” Sewell mentioned in a press release.

“We will continue to do everything in our power to assist in locating him and finding answers for his family.”

White House spokesman John Kirby mentioned he couldn’t verify the disappearance of the 2 Americans however mentioned, “If it’s true, we’ll do everything we can to get them safely back home.”

He mentioned that the United States discouraged Americans from touring to Ukraine, which has endured an almost four-month struggle towards invading Russian forces.

“It is a war zone. It is combat. And if you feel passionate about supporting Ukraine, there’s any number of other ways to do that that are safer and just as effective,” Kirby advised reporters.

The Telegraph, which first reported their disappearances, quoted an unnamed fellow fighter who mentioned the 2 males have been captured after working into a bigger Russian power throughout a June 9 battle northeast of Kharkiv.

Drueke’s mom, Lois Drueke, mentioned that her son advised his household that he was educating Ukrainian troops the best way to use US-made weapons.

“Alex felt very strongly that he had been trained in ways that he could help the Ukrainians be strong and push Putin back,” she advised The Washington Post, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The two are the primary Americans believed to have been captured or harmed in Ukraine, which Putin invaded in February.

Two British nationals have been reported killed within the preventing and one other two Britons are going through the demise penalty after being captured and convicted as mercenaries by a pro-Russian court docket.

President Joe Biden earlier Wednesday introduced one other $1 billion in army assist to Ukraine however has mentioned that US forces won’t immediately interact Russia, a fellow nuclear energy.