Russian state TV airs videos of two missing Americans in Ukraine

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.

“Love Diesel for me, love you,” he said, concluding his brief video with a quick wink. Reports in the US say Diesel was Drueke’s dog.

RT’s official Telegram channel also posted an interview with Huynh, in which he said the duo had been “engaged in combat with Russian troops” near Ukraine’s flashpoint Kharkiv area.

After the pair retreated and hid for hours, they surrendered themselves to Russian troops, Huynh said.

The pair were also filmed in separate RT videos — directly facing a camera angled from above — saying “I’m against the war”, in poor Russian.

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