Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Tai Nokhai, 27, originally from Alabama, took part in fighting north of Kharkov.
Two Americans who had gone to Ukraine to fight against the Russian army have been ignored for a week and it is believed that have been captured, US lawmakers and members of their families announced on Wednesday.
Alexander Ντρούεκε39 years old, and o Andy Tai Nokhai27 years old, originally from the state of Alabama, participated in battles north of Kharkov.
«ΣEarlier this week, the mother of Alexander Drueke, an army veteran who volunteered to help the Ukrainian army deal with Russia, contacted my office after losing contact with her son. for many days“, Said the deputy Terry Sewell of Alabama.
His colleague Robert Underholt added that the family of Andy Tai Nokhai, a former Marine, had not been in contact with him since June 8. “When he was in the Kharkiv region”.
Drueke’s mother told CNN that the two men are thought to be “prisoners of war, but this has not been confirmed”. The US Embassy in Kyiv “he has not been able to confirm that he is with the Russians, the only thing he could confirm is that he is being ignored. “he added.
“What we officially know so far from the State Department is that Andy and Alex are missing.”commented Joey Black, Andy Tai Nokhai’s fiancée.“We have no confirmation other than that. “Obviously, the longer we search for them, the more we start looking at other scenarios.”he added.
If the two men have indeed been captured, they will be the first American citizens to be confirmed as prisoners of war since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The representative of the White House John Kirby stressed that, if the information about the capture of the two Americans is confirmed,“We will do everything we can to bring them back”.
At the same time, Kirby called on the Americans not to go to Ukraine to fight. “It’s a war zone, battles are raging. If you want to support Ukraine, you can do it in many other ways. “explained.
