Applause erupted as Alex Drueke and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh descended an escalator at an airport in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday. Side by side, the two men shared a quick glance before embracing their loved ones for the first time in months.
“Bring it in, brother,” said Mr. Drueke’s aunt, Dianna Shaw, as she pulled him in close.
Mr. Drueke, a former U.S. Army staff sergeant who served two tours in Iraq, and Mr. Huynh, a former U.S. Marine, had been held captive by Russian-backed forces since June after they traveled to Ukraine to fight the invasion. The men were captured near the city of Kharkiv on June 9 when their platoon came under heavy fire while fighting alongside other foreign soldiers who joined in the defense of Ukraine.
For three months, the men faced an uncertain fate. They spent time in solitary confinement but were allowed occasional calls back home to family members and the State Department. In June, the Kremlin publicly threatened to prosecute them as terrorists or war criminals since they were foreign volunteers.
But last week, Mr. Drueke and Mr. Huynh were among 10 foreign prisoners of war released as part of a larger prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. The exchange was mediated by Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, which received the detainees.
Officials have warned U.S. citizens not to travel to Ukraine or enlist as military volunteers. In a statement, the Defense Department said it recommends “that U.S. citizens not travel to Ukraine or depart immediately if it is safe to do so.”
