Kathrine Frich
DeAnna says Derek was promised a non-combat position.
DeAnna says Derek was promised a non-combat position.
An American Sent to War for Putin
Derek Huffman, a 46-year-old American from Texas, moved to Russia with his wife and children in hopes of a better future.
Drawn by promises of work and fast-tracked citizenship, he joined the Russian army expecting a job as a welder.
Instead, he was sent to fight on the front lines in Ukraine.
“He was thrown to the wolves”
Huffman’s wife, DeAnna, has turned to social media to plead for her husband’s safety.
“He feels like he’s been thrown to the wolves,” she said, asking for prayers and support as the situation has spiraled far from what they were promised.
Promised a Welder Job, Sent to the Front
According to WP, DeAnna says Derek was promised a non-combat position as a war correspondent or mechanic.
In reality, he was placed in a foreign unit, rushed through a language course, and deployed to the front.
The mismatch between the recruitment promises and his assignment is at the heart of the family’s current crisis.
“If I give my body for Russia…”
In a recording released a month before deployment, Huffman explained his motivations:
“I don’t want anyone in Russia to say we don’t belong here. If I give my body for Russia, if I defend it – our new homeland – then I deserve to be here.”
Financial Strain and Missing Pay
The family’s financial situation has also deteriorated.
According to DeAnna, Derek and his fellow soldiers were pressured to “voluntarily” pay 10,000 rubles each for equipment.
She says she has not received her husband’s military salary or promised enlistment bonus.
Tied to Russian Propaganda Efforts
Before being deployed, Huffman and his family were featured in Russian media as part of the “American Village” project, promoted by pro-Kremlin American Tim Kirby.
Their relocation to Russia was framed as a symbolic win for Moscow, adding a propaganda layer to Derek’s enlistment.
Not the First American Misled
Huffman’s story follows that of Michael Gloss, a 21-year-old American and son of a former CIA officer, who was killed in Ukraine in 2024 while fighting for Russia.
Both men were drawn into Moscow’s narrative, and suffered consequences that weren’t part of the script.
Over 500 Foreign Deaths Reported
A joint investigation by the BBC Russian Service and Mediazona found that at least 523 foreigners from 28 countries have died fighting on Russia’s side.
Most came from Central Asia, with many reportedly recruited from penal colonies by the Wagner Group.
Global Toll: Nepal, Egypt, and North Korea
Among the dead are 72 from Tajikistan, 66 from Uzbekistan, and dozens from Nepal, Egypt, and Sri Lanka.
Approximately 1,000 North Korean soldiers have reportedly died in the Kursk region alone, with more wounded or missing.
