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American volunteer fighters captured in Ukraine could face death penalty

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:


  • The Kremlin said on Tuesday that the U.S. citizens captured in Ukraine were subject to court decisions.
  • Putin’s spokesman said they are not ruling out that they could face the death penalty.
  • The families of Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh reported them missing last week.

A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wouldn’t guarantee that two American captured in Ukraine won’t face the death penalty. 

“It depends on the investigation,” Dmitry Peskov told NBC News senior international correspondent Keir Simmons when he was asked whether Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh ,27, would “face the same fate” as two British citizens and a Moroccan who were sentenced to death by Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine this month.

Drueke and Huynh were reported missing last week.

Simmons interviewed Peskov in Moscow, where the government is cracking down on journalists and limiting what reporters can say under threat of imprisonment.

Peskov said Drueke and Huynh were “involved in illegal activities” in Ukraine, firing on Russian troops.

“Those guys on the battlefield were firing at our military guys. They were endangering their lives,” Peskov said. “There will be a court, and there will be a court decision.”

He added that Drueke and Huynh, whom he called “soldiers of fortune,” should be punished.

In March, the Ukrainian government said about 20,000 people from 52 countries volunteered to fight with the International Legion of Ukraine. It isn’t determined how many are in Ukraine now.

Damien Magrou, a spokesman for the foreign legion, said he couldn’t “confirm or deny” whether the two Americans were with the force.

Peskov also didn’t say whether the men were being held in Russia or by pro-Russian forces fighting the Ukrainians in the east of the country. He added that they weren’t likely to be covered by the Geneva Conventions that afford protections to prisoners of war because they weren’t part of Ukraine’s regular army.

Drueke’s mother said in an interview last week that her son wasn’t in Ukraine to fight and that he was there in more of an advisory capacity, while Huynh’s fiancée said they had talked about his going to fight before they got engaged in late March.

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On Friday, videos of Huynh and Drueke were broadcast by RT, a Russian state-controlled international television network, which reported that the two were being held captive by separatists.

Peskov said he had no information about Grady Kurpasi, the third former U.S. service member who has also been reported missing in Ukraine by his family.

Peskov also denied that American WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was detained at a Russian airport in February after authorities there said she was carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil, was being held as a “hostage.”

Source: AOL

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. CandygramForMongo

    June 22, 2022 at 6:56 pm

    If they could be saved by the Xiden Admonistration……..they won’t! Dead people walking!!!

  2. Tha Count

    June 22, 2022 at 7:50 pm

    All of those who fight alongside Ukraine are fighting for a war which should have never happened therefore rhey they fight for a wrong cause.
    Putin has the same right as Kenedy had during the Cuban Missile Crisis which is similar to keep Ukraine out of the NATO and keep Ukraine neutral . No NATO troops and NATO bases on the Russians borders. Those who don’t understand, this are welcome to go and fight along the Ukrainian side, after all, the pool gene needs to be cleaned out from the idiots who don’t realize that they fight in a WAG THE DOG war set up by NATO under the direct supervision of the idiot commander in chief Biden
    For all those who my comments appear cold and unpatriotic I have a word of advise
    Be careful for what you wish for because you might get it..
    For all those who don’t realize who is who in this war, don’t complain when you will send American kids to die for the corrupt regime in Ukraine and when you will inhale radio active dust because that is coming if this administration is allowed to stay on this destructive course

  3. Uncle Art

    June 22, 2022 at 10:05 pm

    This is definitely a wag the dog war. We in it because traitor Joe and company are in it as they use the Ukraine government for illegal testing sites and money laundering. Traitor Joe & company stoped what Trump did in being oil independent and made deal with Putin for oil. And somehow not many people believe he’s doing anything wrong. Wake tfu people as it all has been planed years ago by globalist and paid for by globalist and carried out by democrap politicians!!! All of it to destroy America as it was to now make it a socialist system country. And going there to fight with the Ukraine people or with it’s army against Russia has rules & laws of war & engagement you better know about before just jumping in.!!

  4. The Devilbat

    June 23, 2022 at 12:05 am

    This is harsh but true. The people who volunteered to fight for the corrupt country of Ukraine were shooting at Russian soldiers. Russia has every right to execute them and they should do so. There is no such thing as sympathy in wartime.

    Maybe their executions will deter other complete idiots from signing up with the 100% corrupt, Neo-Nazi Ukrainians.

    Putin is a vile pig but he is not the only pig in this war. Look to the US under Victoria Nuland who orchestrated the overthrow of the elected president of Ukraine in 2014 in order to protect the US elite’s ability to launder their illegal monies through Ukraines PrivatBank. Always follow the money!

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