A Texas father who moved his entire family to Russia to escape what he called “woke America” has reportedly been deployed to the front lines of the Ukraine war after initially being promised a non-combat role.
The family says they have not heard from him in over a month and are now appealing for help, per reports.
Derek Huffman, 46, relocated with his wife DeAnna, their three daughters and the family dog earlier this year from Texas to Istra, a small town outside of Moscow.
Mr. Huffman had publicly expressed frustration over what he described as progressive teachings in American schools and said he sought a better environment for his family.
The family moved under a Kremlin-sponsored visa initiative designed to attract disaffected Westerners.
Huffman called it “a fresh start in a country that respects family values,” according to previous statements he gave to Russian media.
After arriving in Russia, Huffman joined a program that offered foreigners a path to integration by volunteering for military service.
He was reportedly told that he would serve in a non-combat capacity.
First, he was told he would work as a welder.
Later, the role shifted to that of a war correspondent.
His wife, however, now says those promises were not kept.
She claims Huffman received limited training in the Russian language and in military procedures before being sent closer to the active war zone.
DeAnna Huffman said her husband was given just a short amount of training time, all conducted in Russian, a language in which he is not fluent.
She added that he is “leaning on faith” as he prepares to face active combat conditions.
The last communication from Mr. Huffman came on Father’s Day in June, when he sent a video to his children.
In the video, he was dressed in full camouflage, speaking from an undisclosed location.
“I miss you all more than you can imagine,” he said in the message.
“I can’t wait to see you, hopefully I get a vacation at some point and I get to go home and spend a couple of weeks with you.”
“But man, you’re on my mind 24/7 and just know that what I’m doing is important to me and important to our family,” he continued.
“Just know I will do whatever it takes to be safe and to come home to you.”
Since then, the family has not received further messages.
A link briefly posted on their YouTube channel directed followers to a Telegram group titled “Save that Little Girls,” where a photograph showed DeAnna and the children crying in the street.
A message in the group read: “We are asking the United States government to save this family.”
The origin of the Telegram group remains unknown, per the Daily Mail.
It has since been removed.
The Huffmans’ journey to Russia began after a series of cross-country moves in the U.S., from Arizona to Texas. Mr. Huffman said that the final turning point came when his daughter, Sophia, was expected to participate in a school lesson involving discussions about lesbian relationships.
“She didn’t fully understand it, but for us, that was enough to realise something had to change,” he told Russia Today in a 2023 interview.
Following a scouting trip to Moscow, the Huffmans said they were impressed by the city’s cleanliness, perceived safety and emphasis on traditional values.
Upon relocating, they were quickly embraced by Russian media and settled in a community known as the “American Village.”
The enclave was created by Tim Kirby, a U.S.-born blogger who supports the Kremlin and promotes relocation to Russia among disillusioned Americans.
The commune was established as a haven for families seeking refuge from Western cultural changes, but so far, only two families have moved in.
Eager to show loyalty to his new country, Mr. Huffman said he was not looking for financial support from the Russian state.
“The point of this act for me is to earn a place here in Russia,” he said.
“If I risk myself for our new country, no one will say that I am not a part of it.”
He added, “Unlike migrants in America who come there just like that, do not assimilate, and at the same time want free handouts.”
According to DeAnna Huffman, her husband was told he would not be sent into battle immediately. However, that assurance later changed.
“When he signed up and had all of that done, he was told he would not be training for two weeks and going straight to the front lines,” she said.
“But it seems as though he is getting one more week of training, closer to the front lines, and then they are going to put him on the front lines.”
The news comes amid heavy Russian losses in the war.
Last month, the British Ministry of Defence estimated that over one million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.
This estimate was supported by research from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which placed Russian military deaths at up to 250,000, with total casualties, including wounded soldiers, at over 950,000.
The CSIS study stated that the number of Russian fatalities during the Ukraine war is now roughly five times higher than the total number of troops lost in all Soviet and Russian conflicts since the end of World War II.
The Huffmans, who moved to escape social tensions in the United States, now find themselves in a geopolitical conflict with no clear path forward.
With Derek Huffman’s whereabouts unknown since June, his family remains in Russia, clinging to hope.
“Being alone in a new country, raising kids, and trying to stay strong has tested me in ways I never imagined,” DeAnna Huffman said.
The post Family Pleads for Help as Texas Father-of-Three Who Fled ‘Woke America’ is Now Reportedly Fighting for Putin in Ukraine appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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