American Derek Huffman thought he’d found the perfect solution. Move his family from Texas to Russia for “traditional values.” Join the military for fast-track citizenship. Work as a welder, not a fighter.

Instead, he’s heading to Ukraine’s front lines after three weeks of training despite assurances he would serve in a non-combat role.

American wanted to earn respect in Russia via military service

The 46-year-old father of three joined what’s called Tim Kirby’s “American Village” project earlier this year. Kirby, an American media personality living in Russia since 2006, promotes Putin’s agenda to disaffected Americans. The Huffmans documented their journey on social media, appearing in Russian propaganda videos while crowdfunding their new life.

In May, Derek joined the Russian military without prior military experience, expecting to work as a welder. His wife DeAnna explained that Derek was “told he would not be training for two weeks and going straight to the front lines. 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.”

Derek’s motivation for enlisting was primarily to secure expedited citizenship for his family, rather than the longer traditional migration process. He also cited the signing bonus and his desire to earn respect in his new country.

“I don’t want anyone here in Russia to say that we don’t belong here, so if I go put my body on the line for Russia, I defend the country, our new country, I’ve earned our place here,” Derek stated in a video filmed last month.

Now his family asks for prayers as he’s being sent to frontlines

Russian recruiters made specific promises. First, Derek would work as a war correspondent. Then as a mechanic in a repair battalion, using his welding skills. No combat role.

Here’s what actually happened: Derek joined a unit of foreigners getting rushed training in Russian before deployment to Ukraine’s front lines.

DeAnna described the situation in her social media appeal, saying Derek “feels like he is being thrown to the wolves right now, and he is kind of having to lean on faith.”

She added that the family is “hoping that he can be utilized for his skills and not be used just as a fighter.”

The deployment also created financial strain for the family. Derek and his unit members were reportedly required to “donate” 10,000 rubles for their own supplies, consuming a substantial portion of his paycheck. DeAnna reported receiving no pay or bonus after one month of Derek’s service.

Can the family reverse this? DeAnna is petitioning unnamed public figures and asking for prayers to get Derek reassigned to a non-combat role.

How many foreign nationals died fighting for Russia? 

Derek isn’t the first American to discover Russia’s military promises don’t match reality. In April 2024, Michael Gloss, the 21-year-old son of a CIA executive, was killed fighting for Moscow in Ukraine.

Despite his American intelligence family background and past idealism focused on humanitarian goals, Michael had become deeply disillusioned with the US and sought to “fight against America,” embodying a radical anti-establishment mindset.

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His recruitment exposed glaring security failures in the Russian military, which neglected to thoroughly vet family ties even for high-profile figures. 

The BBC Russian Service and Mediazona conducted a joint investigation, confirming the deaths of 523 foreign nationals from 28 countries who fought for Russia in Ukraine.

A significant portion of these foreign fighters were Central Asians, with Tajikistan (72 deaths) and Uzbekistan (66 deaths) having the highest numbers, many of whom were recruited from Russian penal colonies by groups like Wagner in exchange for sentence cancellation.

Nepal also saw high casualties, with 70 confirmed deaths and about 50 more missing. Other countries with reported casualties include Egypt, Sri Lanka, and the United States.

Around 1,000 North Korean soldiers have also been killed, with additional wounded and missing, fighting alongside Russian forces primarily in the Kursk border region.

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