THEY WERE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR AGGRESSIVE POLICING TACTICS. TWO ALABAMA FAM LOINS PINS AND NEEDLES AS THEY WAIT FOR THEY LOVED ONES TO BE BROUGHT BACK HOME. WE ARE NEARING TWO WEEK SINCE A FAMILY HEARD FROM ALEX DRUEKE WHO WENT TO UKRAINE TO HELP TRAIN SOLDIERS. YOU SPEAK WITH ALEX'S AUNT TODAY, WHAT'S KEEPING THE FAMILY GOING THROUGH THIS TIME OF UNCERTAINTY? REPORTER: IAN, THE FAMILY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF ALABAMA GRADUATES SO PART OF THEIR COMFORT ACTUALLY COMES FROM COACH NICK SABAN WHEN HE TELLS FANS TO TRUST THE PROCESS. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE FAMILY IS DOING. TRUSTING THE PROCESS THAT ALEX WILL BE BROUGHT HOME SAFELY WITH THE HELP OF HIS THE STATE'S CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS. ALEX DRUEKE SERVED 12 YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. HE DECIDED TO LEND HIS EXPERTISE TO THE UKRAINIAN ARMY. HE WENT THERE TO TRAIN SOLDIERS HOW TO USE WEAPONS AND DRONES. >> HE SAID I'M TOO OLD TO FIGHT BUT I KNOW HOW TO TRAIN. I CAN GO AND HELP THEM LEARN TO USE THIS EQUIPMENT. PRIP IT'S A DECISION ALEX'S AUNT D AIRVETION IANNA SAID HE DIDN'T MAKE EASILY. HE KNEW THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ADVISED AGAINST GOING INTO THE FRAY BUT MADE UP HIS MIND AFTER A MONTH. >> HE CALLED ME AND SAID, AUNT DI, I'M GOING TO UKRAINE. AND I SAID, ALEX, KNOWING YOU THAT MAKES PERFECT SENT. HE'S NOT MARRIED. DOES NOT HAVE CHILDREN. HE DOES HAVE ALL OF HIS EXPERTISE. IN HOW TO TRAIN. SOLDIERS AND HOW TO USE EQUIPMENT. REPORTER: WHILE IN UKRAINE, SHAW SAYS HIS SPIRITS WERE HIGH. HIS CONVERSATION WITH HIS MOM WAS ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, TALKING ABOUT HIS 100-POUND RESCUE DOG BEFORE HIS UNIT GOT HIT WITH HEAVY FIRE. THE FAMILY HASN'T HEARD FROM HIM OR ANDY HEWEN, ANOTHER MILITARY VETERAN IF ALABAMA WHO ALEX FIRST MET IN UKRAINE IN THE SAME UNIT. >> IT IS STRESSFUL. WE DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PRAYERS. REPORTER: HOPE CAME LAST WEEK WHEN VIDEOS OF ALEX AND ANDY SURFACED ON RUSSIAN SOCIAL MEDIA. EVEN THOUGH THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS YET TO AUTHENTICATE THEM, DIANNA IS POSITIVE IT'S HER NEPHEW. >> KNOWING HE'S ALIVE AND IN RELATIVELY GOOD SHAPE. THE MEN APPEAR TO BE WASHED AND CLOTHED AND, THERE WERE NO VISIBLE CUTS OR BRUISES TO US. AND SO THAT GAVE US A REAL -- A REAL BIG SIGH OF RELIEF. REPORTER: AS FOR THE VIDEOS, DIANA ISN'T SURE IF WHAT ALEX IS SAYING IS TRUE BECAUSE CAPTIVES CAN BE FORCED TO SAY THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. BUT SHE SAYS YOU CAN BELIEVE WHEN ALEX SAYS IN THE VIDEO, I LOVE YOU, MOM. SHE ALSO WANTS TO THANK ALL OF THE STATE'S CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS FOR THEIR WORK IN TRYING TO BRING ALEX AND ANDY HOME SAFELY AND URGES THEM TO NOT LET UP. LIVE I
Mother of Tuscaloosa veteran captured by Russia in Ukraine speaks to son by phone
![WVTM logo]()
Updated: 3:23 PM CDT Jun 30, 2022
The mother of a U.S. military veteran from Tuscaloosa, Alabama who went missing after he traveled to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia has spoken with her son by telephone twice in the past three days, WVTM 13 has learned.Lois "Bunny" Drueke answered a call from what appeared to be a Russian exchange and talked to her son, 39-year-old Alex Drueke, on Tuesday for nearly 10 minutes. It was their first conversation since he and Andy Huynh, another Alabama veteran, were captured after a fight earlier this month in Ukraine. “He sounded tired and stressed, and he was clearly reciting some things he had been made to practice or read, but it was wonderful to hear his voice and know he’s alive and alright,” Bunny Drueke said about the first call.“In between these statements we were able to exchange personal words,” she added. “He wanted to make sure his dog was doing well, that I was holding up. I told him I was doing everything I knew to do to help get him and Andy released.”Drueke, who reportedly told his mother that he is spending most of the time in isolation but has food, water, and bedding, seemed to be prompted to state several times that his captors were anxious to begin negotiations for his release. Bunny Dureke talked to Alex again on Thursday followed by a phone call with the State Department, Drueke’s aunt, Dianna Shaw, confirmed to WVTM 13's Rick Karle.“We hope this is all true. Our family is greatly relieved that the Russian government seems to be using their influence to see that Alex is being treated humanely as a Prisoner of War, which he and Andy most certainly are," Shaw said.Drueke told his mother he had not had contact with Andy Huynh for several days. It is assumed that Huynh is also being held in solitary confinement. Get the WVTM 13 app for the latest updates on this developing story.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The mother of a U.S. military veteran from Tuscaloosa, Alabama who went missing after he traveled to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia has spoken with her son by telephone twice in the past three days, WVTM 13 has learned.
Lois "Bunny" Drueke answered a call from what appeared to be a Russian exchange and talked to her son, 39-year-old Alex Drueke, on Tuesday for nearly 10 minutes. It was their first conversation since he and Andy Huynh, another Alabama veteran, were captured after a fight earlier this month in Ukraine.
“He sounded tired and stressed, and he was clearly reciting some things he had been made to practice or read, but it was wonderful to hear his voice and know he’s alive and alright,” Bunny Drueke said about the first call.
“In between these statements we were able to exchange personal words,” she added. “He wanted to make sure his dog was doing well, that I was holding up. I told him I was doing everything I knew to do to help get him and Andy [Huynh] released.”
Drueke, who reportedly told his mother that he is spending most of the time in isolation but has food, water, and bedding, seemed to be prompted to state several times that his captors were anxious to begin negotiations for his release.
Bunny Dureke talked to Alex again on Thursday followed by a phone call with the State Department, Drueke’s aunt, Dianna Shaw, confirmed to WVTM 13's Rick Karle.
“We hope this is all true. Our family is greatly relieved that the Russian government seems to be using their influence to see that Alex is being treated humanely as a Prisoner of War, which he and Andy most certainly are," Shaw said.
Drueke told his mother he had not had contact with Andy Huynh for several days. It is assumed that Huynh is also being held in solitary confinement.
Get the WVTM 13 app for the latest updates on this developing story.
