By Aaron Miller-
Two Americans who were killed alongside a pair of Canadian and Swedish nationals while volunteering to defend Ukraine from Russia’s invasion earlier this month have now been identified and named.
The pair have been named as Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, both from Alabama. They were killed when a Russian tank opened fire during an hours-long battle on the Donetsk frontline. They were captured by Russian forces on June 11 when they didn’t return to a meeting spot after their group came under heavy fire in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine near the Russian border.
The two soldiers have appeared in various videos distributed by Russia since their capture. The pair who previously appeared frightened looked calmer in the latest video for unknown reasons. The killings are the latest developments in the murderous campaign of Russia in a war that has become bloody by the day.
President, Joe Biden, have discouraged Americans from volunteering to defend Ukraine. While the government is helping the Ukrainian defense by providing billions of dollars in weapons and other resources, it says it is limited in its ability to help American citizens once things go there.
Other Americans killed in Ukraine include video journalist Brent Renaud; Jimmy Hill, who was gunned down while waiting in a bread line; Stephen Zabielski, who was killed during fighting in May.
Drueke and Huynh became friends after travelling to Ukraine due to their shared Alabama background, according to relatives.
Drueke’s mother, Lois ‘Bunny’ Drueke, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama last spoke to her son on the phone last month for 10 minutes. Bunny said she believes parts of the conversation did not seem to be coming directly from him.
‘And even talking to him while he was over there, he felt like it was something that he needed to do for the country of Ukraine.’
Citing an account from Miroshnichenko, Russian shelling left Lucysyzyn wounded, and that prompted Young and the others to try to help him, CBS News reported. Additional tank fire killed the four foreign volunteers in the Donetsk region, a heavily disputed region of Ukraine, Miroshnichenko said.
Miroshnichenko’s remarks came after the US state department late last week announced the recent deaths of two Americans in Ukraine, without releasing any additional details. They are among at least six Americans who have died in Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia in February.
Lucyszyn’s parents, Kathryn and George, told NBC News that their son had gone to Ukraine in early April to volunteer as a medic. He worried that his group lacked necessary equipment and asked his folks to send over a tactical vest and other supplies, the couple from Calabash, North Carolina, said.
“He didn’t go there to be a hero,” Kathryn Lucyszyn said of her 31-year-old son. “He went there because he wanted to help people.”
Miroshnichenko said his unit nicknamed Lucyszyn “Skywalker” after the protagonist of the original Star Wars film trilogy who shared his first name.
The American citizen decided to come to UKraine because he ‘took an oath to protect the Free World’.
In a tribute on Facebook, the commander said: ‘It hurts so much to lose the boys. Emotions are overwhelming and I can’t find the words right now for the post they deserve.
‘I just want to say, they weren’t hiding, but they looked for every opportunity to be helpful, they all fully volunteered and did their combat duty on the front line till the end. Calmly and with honor.’
A statement from Drueke’s family late Sunday said the US state department has spoken with him at least four times, though it appeared each of the calls was scripted, and therefore it was difficult “for them to assess the men’s treatment and conditions.”