Alexander Drueke, one of two Alabama men being held by Russian forces after being captured in Ukraine, told a blogger he is being treated well with regular access to phone calls, including contact with a lawyer and his mother.
Drueke, 39, of Tuscaloosa, and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh, 27, of Trinity, traveled to war-torn Ukraine in April before going missing June 8 during a firefight in the Kharkiv area of Ukraine. Later reports indicated the men were taken prisoner during a fight with Russian armored forces and video on Russian TV appears to show the men tied in the back of a truck.
Russian officials said the two are considered mercenaries and not covered under international protections provided prisoners of war. Their fates will be decided by Russian courts though officials haven’t ruled out the death penalty.
No prior plan to join fight
Blogger Jim “Fergie” Chambers said he was contacted by Drueke via a number he had used before to talk with Aiden Aslin, a British man being held by the Russians.
Drueke reportedly told Chambers he had no prior arrangements with Ukrainian armed forces before flying to the country in April. He originally contracted to serve as a trainer for a unit in Lvov but that lasted a little more than a week after Drueke said he became “dissatisfied” with the troops. He later signed paperwork to transfer to a reconnaissance unit in Kharkov, the group he was serving with when he and Huynh were taken prisoner.
He has not been officially charged and told the blogger his detainment has been calm and he is being well-treated, with access to food and water. He has access to phone calls, including some with his mother, Lois Drueke, and has been in contact with his lawyer on a daily basis.
Drueke reportedly told Chambers he regretted traveling to Ukraine.
“As I said, I did not have a full understanding of what was going on, and if I had, I wouldn’t have made the decision that I did. What would I say to someone else? Do your research, look at sources outside of the West—be better informed,” he said.
It is unclear if Drueke was speaking freely or in the presence of his Russian captors.
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