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Two American men have detailed the horror they experienced at the hands of their Russian captors after being taken prisoner in Ukraine. They did not
know each other before their ordeal and never thought they would make it out alive.
Alex Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, were captured over the summer when their drone reconnaissance mission ran into a Russian battalion before a firefight broke out.
The two US military veterans said they evaded capture for eight hours while dodging land mines and enemy drones.
Eventually, enemy forces ran them down. Both men were ordered to their knees with hands bound and bags thrown over their heads.
Mr Drueke said: “We were pretty darn sure they were going to execute us right then and there.”
Both men were moved multiple times before they eventually were transported to a so-called “black site”. They survived on a diet of spoiled bread and dirty water.
They both said they were blindfolded, beaten, interrogated, deprived of sleep and forced into stress positions. Mr Drueke’s ribs were broken.
The two men thought they would be killed by their captors, a fate which may have been preferable to daily torture, according Mr Huynh
He said: “We prayed for death. We just wanted to die. We just wanted it to end.”
Mr Drueke added: “I am going to die from this situation, or they are going to kill me.”
READ MORE: FBI follows new lead in case of Gilgo Beach Killer
While they were held in captivity, Moscow forced them to make propaganda videos and make phone calls to various US agencies, including the State Department.
The two were released by Russia following mediation by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the Saudi foreign ministry.
Following Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February, thousands of foreign fighters flocked to the country to fight on both sides.
While Western fighters have largely fought with Ukraine, their have been reports of mercenaries from Syria and other countries fighting on the Russian side.
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