The State Department said on Saturday that it had examined photographs and videos showing two Americans arrested in Ukraine, although it declined to comment on the authenticity of the images or the condition of the men. U.S. officials have been in contact with the men’s families, Ukrainian authorities and the International Committee of the Red Cross, a State Department spokesman said. The Red Cross declined to comment on the case. The men, Alex Drueke, 39, and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh, 27, were ignored by their families last week and were described by the State Department on Saturday as “arrests by Russian troops in Ukraine.” Both are US Army veterans who volunteered to fight in Ukraine. The Russian government has not commented publicly on the reports. On Friday, short videos allegedly showing the two men were posted on YouTube saying in Russian: “I’m against the war.” It was not clear when or by whom the videos were recorded. Russia’s state-run RT television station later said it had interviewed the men, claiming they had surrendered to Russian troops and were in a detention center controlled by Russian-backed forces. RT watermark videos circulating on social media showed the men, separately, talking to someone off-camera about their experiences. Lois Drueke, Mr Drueke’s mother, said on Saturday that she and other members of her family had celebrated after seeing the first of the videos, even though it was only a few seconds. “I have seen these since yesterday over and over again,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see him and see that he is alive.” The family was convinced he was Mr. Drueke in the videos because of “his body language, facial expressions, gestures and, most importantly, his sweet voice,” said his aunt Dianna Williams. The State Department, however, has not yet told the family if officials believe the videos are authentic. Mr Drueke, a former U.S. Army sergeant who served two tours in Iraq, had previously warned his mother that if he was ever captured, he could be asked to read a script, Ms Williams said. He added that the family understood that everything he said should be taken with a little salt. “After the great relief we felt watching the videos, we also feel anxious because we now know he is in captivity,” he said. Darla Black, the mother of Mr. Huynh’s fiancée Joy Black, said they were also relieved to see the videos. “It’s a consolation to hear his voice,” said Elder Black. “It’s not a situation we want him to be in, but as long as he talks, he breathes.” He said the inclination and pace of the man’s voice in the video were familiar, though they could not be sure it was Mr. Huynh. Ms Black said her videos were reminiscent of recordings of Vietnam War prisoners. “Everyone knows that detainees are not free to express their opinions,” he said. The State Department declined to comment in detail on the case, citing privacy concerns. But he reiterated President Biden’s warning on Friday when he told reporters: “I want to reiterate: Americans must not go to Ukraine now.” He said the administration did not know the whereabouts of the men. Last week, a court in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine sentenced three foreign fighters to death, accusing the men, from Britain and Morocco, of being mercenaries. Western nations have condemned the verdict, and legal experts say the trial appears to be a warning to foreign volunteers that if arrested, they could be deprived of the protection afforded to prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. The war law, signed by Russia, makes it clear that captured volunteer fighters can also be considered prisoners of war. The primary definition of a mercenary under international law is someone who fights primarily for financial gain and is paid significantly more than the local armed forces.
