Russian state TV airs video of 2 Americans captured while fighting for Ukraine's forces

As ravaging Russia-Ukraine war reached its 115th day, Russian state television brocasted videos of two United States military veterans on Friday, who went missing last week while fighting alongside Ukrainian troops. According to a report by  Associated Press, Russian state TV confirmed that two American soldiers were taken hostage, furr increasing concerns about ir safety. Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh, both from Alabama, US, are thought to be first Americans taken prisoner by Russian army since war with Ukraine began on February 24. 

Drueke, who served in United States Army, and Huynh, a member of United States Marine Corps, went missing on June 9 after ir unit came under intense assault in norastern part of Kharkiv region. According to an RT television report, citing Drueke, Americans were detached from ors and heed out into woods once it was safe. y eventually arrived in a town where y were confronted by a Russian patrol and surrendered. 

American soldiers were being taken by Russian-supported separatist fighters in Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, according to RT. 

Apart from this, three more foreigners battling for Ukraine, two Britons and a Moroccan, were condemned to death by a rebel court in Donetsk, in Donbas, Associated Press reported.  

Russia says foreigners fighting with Ukraine will be treated as mercenaries

Furrmore, United States has urged that everyone apprehended be treated as a prisoner of war, with assurances of humane treatment and fair trials. Russian military, however, said that foreigners fighting with Ukraine are mercenaries and are not safeguarded as combatants under Geneva Conventions. 

Earlier this week, US State Department said that it has been looking into accusations that two American citizens h been kidnapped by Russian or Russian-backed troops. It also reaffirmed its vice that Americans should not go to war-torn Ukraine to fight, a stance that US President Joe Biden reinforced on Friday. 

When questioned about missing Americans prior to release of Russian videos, Biden indicated that he h been informed of matter but gave no ditional details. Biden said, “I don’t know where y are and I want to be clear: Americans should not be going to Ukraine”. He ded, “I’ll say it again, Americans should not be going to Ukraine.” 

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, too, h previously cautioned American citizens from joining Ukraine in battle, claiming that if caught by Russian military, American fighters would be classified as mercenaries, and so would not be protected by international laws for prisoners of war. As per media reports, when Russia inved Ukraine on February 24, Ukrainian Embassy in US received notifications that over 3,000 US citizens h applied to join Ukraine's army. 

(Image: AP)