Father-of-three who fled to Russia to escape 'woke' U.S. 'is sent to the front line to fight for Putin'
Derek Huffman, 46, moved with his wife DeAnna, their three daughters and the family husky to the small town of Istra, near Moscow, earlier this year after claiming the U.S. had become overrun by 'woke ideology'.
The family took advantage of a Kremlin-backed visa programme aimed at attracting Westerners who reject liberal ideals - something Huffman called 'a fresh start in a country that respects family values'.
But the American expat's dream of a quieter life in Russia has taken a dramatic turn.
Initially promised a non-combat role in the Russian military - first as a welder, then a war correspondent - Huffman now finds himself alarmingly close to the battlefield, according to his wife.
DeAnna Huffman said her husband felt he was being 'thrown to the wolves' given that he had only received a limited amount of training, and that it was in Russian.
She added that her husband, who only had minimal instruction before being deployed, is 'leaning on faith' to survive, as the family awaits news in fear.
The last message they received from him came on Father's Day in June. In a video clip, Huffman appears in full camouflage, speaking directly to his children.
He said: 'I miss you all more than you can imagine. 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. Just know I will do whatever it takes to be safe and to come home to you. Take care of each other.'
Since then, there's been silence. The family insists he is 'doing fine', but a now-deleted link on their YouTube channel directed followers to a Telegram group where an emotional photo of DeAnna and her daughters crying in the street was posted alongside a plea - 'We are asking the U.S. government to save this family.'
It remains unclear who created the group.
The Huffmans' controversial decision to flee the U.S. came after growing frustration with progressive teachings in schools.
After a move from Arizona to Texas, Huffman said he was horrified when his daughter Sophia was expected to discuss lesbian relationships at school - a moment he called the 'final straw'.
'She didn't fully understand it, but for us, that was enough to realise something had to change,' Huffman told Russia Today.
A scouting trip to Moscow in 2023 sealed the deal. The couple claimed Russia felt cleaner, safer, and more in tune with their values.
Upon arrival, they were quickly embraced by state-affiliated media and even settled into an expat commune known as the 'American Village', established by pro-Kremlin U.S. blogger Tim Kirby.
The community, founded as a haven for Americans disillusioned with liberal gender norms, has only attracted two families to date - the Huffmans among them.
Huffman was eager to prove his loyalty, insisting he was not searching for handouts.
He said: 'The point of this act for me is to earn a place here in Russia.
'If I risk myself for our new country, no one will say that I am not a part of it. Unlike migrants in America who come there just like that, do not assimilate, and at the same time want free handouts'.
But now, DeAnna says he was misled. '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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Aston Martin's 24-hour scramble to get lower US tariffs pays off
Aston Martin scrambled to deliver three months' worth of cars to dealers in the US within 24 hours as it rushed to qualify for lower tariffs that came into effect on 30 June. By invoicing the whole quarter's cars on that same day it avoided having to report a sales slump that might have alarmed investors. The operation may not have matched the drama of the James Bond films that have long featured the brand, but it 'was quite exciting, to put it mildly', said Adrian Hallmark, Aston Martin's chief executive. Donald Trump has shaken the global economy with a trade war, causing a particular stir in the car industry with his imposition of a 25% tariff on 3 April on top of an existing 2.5% levy. Germany's Mercedes-Benz said on Wednesday Trump's border taxes would cost it about €360m (£311m) this year, while the sportscar-maker Porsche said it had taken a €400m hit from the levies in the first half of the year. However, in early May, the US president and Keir Starmer agreed a deal to limit tariffs on 100,000 British-made cars per year to 10%. That rate came into force at one minute past midnight on 30 June, the final day of the second financial quarter. Aston Martin Lagonda manufactures all its cars in factories in Gaydon, Warwickshire, and St Athan, south Wales. It shipped 328 cars to dealers in the Americas between April and June but the majority were sent on 30 June. It was a 'mammoth task', Hallmark said. 'This left us with 24 hours to invoice the entire quarter's-worth of vehicle sales in the US.' The one-day scramble illustrates the tariff turmoil causing headaches for goods exporters around the world. Aston Martin revealed that it had raised prices for US customers by 3% to absorb some of the hit from the border taxes. Getting the cars to dealers early would have meant a big financial blow from absorbing the higher tariff rate, while late arrivals that missed the quarter-end would have meant reporting a big slump in sales. So Aston Martin decided to send hundreds of cars to bonded warehouses in the US – where goods can be stored without being subject to tariffs – before delivery firms raced to get them all to dealers before the end of day on 30 June. Those cars attracted the 10% rate, rather than 27.5%. Other carmakers face higher costs. The EU reached a deal with the US to cut tariffs on most goods including cars to 15%. Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Källenius said he did not expect any improvement on that for the car industry, despite lobbying for a lower rate from Germany's carmakers. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Aston Martin also said it had cut production and limited exports to the US to try to limit the financial impact. Even after its 30 June operation, Aston Martin could still be hit later in the year when it launches its million-dollar Valhalla, a mid-engine hypercar that it hopes will be a major contributor to profits. However, it is worried that the quota of 100,000 cars covered by the 10% tariff could be used up before it can get the Valhalla to dealers – potentially adding more than £100,000 to the price if importers must pay the 27.5% rate. British companies exported just over 100,000 cars to the US last year, with the bulk being Range Rovers shipped by JLR. The quota could mean an end-of-year race between British carmakers to get their vehicles into the country, with 'pressure on the number of slots available on the 100,000 quota', Hallmark said.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Oil rises over 1% as investors weigh Trump's Russia stance, tariff threats
HOUSTON, July 30 (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed more than 1% on Wednesday as investors focused on developments on U.S. President Donald Trump's tighter deadline for Russia to end the war in Ukraine and his tariff threats to countries that trade its oil. The most active Brent crude futures were up $1.02 or about 1.4%, to $72.69 a barrel by 01:25 p.m. ET (1726 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up $1.18 at $70.39 with investors largely shrugging off mixed U.S. data on crude and fuel inventories. The Brent crude September contract that expires on Wednesday was up $1.02 at $73.53. Both contracts had fallen nearly 1% earlier in the day. On Tuesday, Trump said he would start imposing measures on Russia, such as secondary tariffs of 100% on trading partners, if it did not make progress on ending the war in Ukraine within 10 to 12 days, moving up from an earlier 50-day deadline. He imposed a 25% tariff on goods imported from India starting August 1, along with an unspecified penalty for buying Russian weapons and oil. The U.S. also warned China, the largest buyer of Russian oil, that it could face huge tariffs if it kept buying. JP Morgan analysts wrote that while China was unlikely to comply with U.S. sanctions, India has signaled it would do so, which could affect 2.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian oil exports. "Traders seem more focused on the tariffs (related to Russia) and the compliance by India is being taken as a positive towards crude prices," Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial. Meanwhile, U.S. crude inventories rose by 7.7 million barrels, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.3 million-barrel draw. U.S. gasoline stocks fell by 2.7 million barrels compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 0.6 million-barrel draw. Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 3.6 million barrels versus expectations for a 0.3 million-barrel rise, the EIA data showed. U.S. economic growth also rebounded more than expected in the second quarter, but that measurement grossly overstated the economy's health as declining imports accounted for the bulk of the improvement and domestic demand increased at its slowest pace in 2-1/2 years. The Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, even as President Donald Trump continued to push the U.S. central bank to cut borrowing costs.
Reuters
5 hours ago
- Reuters
Trump says US to hit India with 25% tariff starting August 1
WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI, July 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed a 25% tariff on goods imported from India starting August 1, as well as an unspecified penalty for buying Russian arms and oil - moves that could strain relations with the world's most populous democracy. The U.S. decision singles out India more severely than other major trading partners, and threatens to unravel months of talks between the two countries, undermining a key strategic partner of Washington's and a counterbalance to China. "While India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!" In response, the Indian government said in a statement that it was studying the implications of Trump's announcements and remained dedicated to securing a fair trade deal with the U.S. "India and the U.S. have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months. We remain committed to that objective," it said. The White House had previously warned India about its high average applied tariffs - nearly 39% on agricultural products - with rates climbing to 45% on vegetable oils and around 50% on apples and corn. Russia continued to be the top oil supplier to India during the first six months of 2025, making up 35% of overall supplies. The United States, the world's largest economy, currently has a $45.7 billion trade deficit with India, the fifth largest. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Trump has been frustrated with the progress of trade talks with India and believed the 25% tariff announcement would help the situation. Hassett said more information on the additional penalty would be made "shortly." The new U.S. tax on imports from India would be higher than many other countries that struck a deal with the Trump administration recently. Vietnam's tariff is set at 20% and Indonesia's at 19%, while the levy for Japan and the European Union is 15%. "This is a major setback for Indian exporters, especially in sectors like textiles, footwear and furniture, as the 25% tariff will render them uncompetitive against rivals from Vietnam and China," said S.C. Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisation. The news pushed the Indian rupee down 0.4% to around 87.80 against the U.S. dollar in the non-deliverable forwards market, from its close at 87.42 during market hours. Gift Nifty futures were trading at 24,692 points, down 0.6%. U.S. and Indian negotiators have held multiple rounds of discussions to resolve contentious issues, particularly over market access into India for U.S. agricultural and dairy products. In its latest statement, India said it attached the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of its farmers, entrepreneurs and small businesses. "The government will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest, as has been the case with other trade agreements," it said. The setback comes despite earlier commitments by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump to conclude the first phase of a trade deal by autumn 2025 and expand bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, from $191 billion in 2024. Since India's short but deadly conflict with arch South Asian rival Pakistan, New Delhi has been unhappy about Trump's closeness with Islamabad and has protested, which cast a shadow over trade talks. "Politically the relationship is in its toughest spot since the mid-1990s," said Ashok Malik, partner at advisory firm The Asia Group. "Trust has diminished. President Trump's messaging has damaged many years of careful, bipartisan nurturing of the U.S.-India partnership in both capitals." Besides farm products access, the U.S. had flagged concerns over India's increasingly burdensome import-quality requirements, among its many non-tariff barriers to foreign trade, in a report released in March. The new tariffs will impact Indian goods exports to the U.S., estimated at around $87 billion in 2024, including labour-intensive products such as garments, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewelry, and petrochemicals.
