Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov, who was interviewed by NBC News, also said that American basketball player Britney Greener, who had been detained in Russia for more than two months, was guilty of drug offenses and not guilty. Peshkov’s comments were the first official admission that the two men, identified in US reports as Andy Huynh, 27, of Hartselle, Alabama, and Alexander Drueke, 39, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, were being held under investigation. . “They are soldiers of chance. They were involved in illegal activities on Ukrainian territory. They were involved in shootings and bombings against our military personnel. They were endangering their lives,” Peshkov said. “And they should be held accountable for the crimes they have committed. These crimes should be investigated … The only thing that is clear is that they have committed crimes. They do not belong to the Ukrainian army. They are not subject to the Geneva Convention.” Family members said last week that the two men had gone to Ukraine as volunteer fighters and had disappeared. Russian media last week reported images of them being captured while fighting for Ukraine. Peshkov did not disclose where the men were being held. Two Britons and a Moroccan have already been convicted by a court under the jurisdiction of separatists in Donetsk on the grounds that they were mercenaries and not subject to the Geneva Convention governing Prisoners of War. Kyiv condemned the court ruling as unauthorized and said the fighters were members of the Ukrainian armed forces, and therefore subject to the protections of the Geneva Convention. Moscow calls its actions a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine and protect it from the fascists. Ukraine and its allies in the West say the fascist claim is unfounded and that the war is an unprovoked offensive. The story goes on GREENER PROSECUTION Peshkov said Greener, who had come to promote basketball in Russia, was being prosecuted under laws banning the import of drugs. “Russia is not the only country in the world that has quite strict laws in this sense … it is being prosecuted. There is nothing we can do about it,” Peshkov told NBC. He “strongly disagreed” with any idea that Greener, who arrived in Russia in February, was being held hostage. “We can not call her a hostage. Why call her a hostage?” he said. “She has violated Russian law and is now being prosecuted. Not for a hostage. “ Russian customs officials say cartridges containing hashish oil were found in Griner’s luggage. The State Department found in May that Greener had been detained illegally and had instructed diplomats to work for her release. His wife, Cherelle Griner, has said she is a political pawn. (This story has been corrected to change the source to NBC News instead of MSNBC in paragraphs 13 and 13) (Writing in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly and Ron Popeski in Winnipeg; edited by Philippa Fletcher)
