Two U.S. military veterans who disappeared three months ago while fighting Russia with Ukrainian forces were among 10 prisoners released by Russian-backed separatists as part of a prisoner exchange.
U.S. military veterans Andy Huynh, left, and Alexander Drueke. The two veterans, who disappeared while fighting Russia with Ukrainian forces on June 9, have been released after about three months in captivity, relatives said Wednesday, Sept. 21.
Shaw said both men have spoken with relatives and are in"pretty good shape," according to an official with the U.S. embassy. The Saudi embassy released a statement saying it helped secure the release of 10 prisoners from Morocco, the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Croatia. Shaw confirmed that Drueke and Huynh were part of the group.
Moroccan media reported that the released prisoners included Brahim Saadoun, 21, who was sentenced to death in June after being accused of terrorism and trying to overturn the constitutional order. Captured by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine, the court claimed he was a mercenary, while Saadoun's father said he had enlisted in Ukraine's regular army.
Druke's mother received a call from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning and an embassy worker handed the phone to the man, Shaw said.Huynh moved to north Alabama two years ago from his native California and lives about 120 miles from Drueke. Before leaving for Europe, Huynh told his local newspaper, The Decatur Daily, he couldn't stop thinking about Russia's invasion.
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