Anti-Woke U.S. Dad Who Joined Putin's War Machine ‘Blown Away by Hate'
Derek Huffman, a 46-year-old former construction worker, made headlines earlier this year when he uprooted his wife and three young daughters for a new life in Moscow, leaving Texas in search of more 'traditional values.'
In May, he joined the Russian military in the hopes of fast-tracking citizenship. By June, the new recruit was a little surprised to be heading for a combat role on the front lines in Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Huffman was rumored—without evidence—to have been killed by a Ukrainian drone strike. A Maltese site even dubiously claimed he was 'confirmed dead,' citing unnamed footage it did not share.
The reports were false, as Huffman revealed in a recorded phone call from July 25 and posted two days later on his and wife DeAnna's YouTube channel, Huffman Time.
But the reports of his death and the jubilant response from some critics rattled Huffman. 'I'm just blown away at the level of hate,' he told DeAnna. 'I'm only doing what I feel is right... but the level of hate for Russia is insane.'
Huffman appeared particularly shocked that the false news of his death had been met with open celebration on social media. 'Shame on all these people,' he said. 'They're saying they're glad I'm dead... I'm serving my military with honor.'
The couple, who chronicle their new life in Russia online, were quick to dismiss the drone strike rumors as clickbait. '[It] is just publicity seeking,' Huffman claimed.
In the same conversation, he pushed back on criticism that his Christian faith clashed with his decision to join a military accused by the International Criminal Court of war crimes—including forcibly deporting Ukrainian children and bombing hospitals.
'I don't relish the idea of taking life,' Huffman said. 'But I'm doing what I feel is right. People ought to try that sometimes.'
The Huffmans, once a suburban family in the American South, now promote their brand of 'traditional values' from behind enemy lines on YouTube, where DeAnna, a former teacher and floral designer, shares videos about their Russian relocation and his military service.
In a video from May, Derek addressed people who 'might think [he's] crazy.'
'A big part of it for me is respect and earning our place in Russia. If you think about America, people just come on in and are given everything, and they don't assimilate,' he said. 'They're just there for the free handouts.'
His wife described the move to the frontlines as challenging in a since-deleted video.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
27 minutes ago
- The Hill
India slams Trump's threat of tariffs over Russian oil purchases
India fired back at the United States after President Trump pledged to increase tariffs on New Delhi over the country's purchase of Russian oil. In a statement Monday, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the purchase of Russian oil is a 'necessity' to 'ensure predictable and affordable energy costs' and was once 'encouraged' by the U.S. 'for strengthening global energy markets stability.' The MEA spokesperson further suggested the West is being hypocritical, pointing to trade that the European Union and the United States has continued to do since the war between Russia and Ukraine began. 'In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable,' the spokesperson said in the statement. 'Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,' it added. The pushback from India comes after Trump said on Monday he would raise tariffs on India for buying and selling oil from Moscow, arguing the country doesn't care about the Ukrainian casualties suffered at the hands of 'the Russian War Machine.' Trump did not specify the new tariff rate but said it would increase from the 25-percent tariff that the U.S. president said he would impose last month. 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits,' Trump said on Truth Social. 'They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.' Trump previously vowed to hit India with a penalty for buying military equipment and energy from Russia amid the war in Ukraine. China is also a major importer of Russian oil, but has not faced the same threats from Trump. Trump in recent weeks has grown increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin and shortened the timeline for him to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine to Aug. 8, at which point Trump has said he will impose 'secondary tariffs' of up to 100 percent on Russia's trading partners in a bid to isolate Moscow economically. India said it would continue buying oil from Moscow on Saturday. The Indian foreign ministry called the relationship with Russia 'steady and time-tested' and said its stance on security energy is guided by the availability of oil in the markets.
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
A front-line Ukrainian unit says it made a new kind of robot to shoot down Russian planes and helicopters
A front-line Ukrainian military unit said it built a new robot that can shoot down Russian aircraft. It is said to be the first weapon of its kind in this conflict. The remote-controlled robot offers air defense solutions to front-line fighters without requiring soldiers to expose themselves to the prolific threat of drones. Ukraine has constantly found itself needing air defense options for both its cities and for its troops fighting along the front lines, and has found innovative ways to get there. "Russian aviation poses a threat not only to peaceful cities but also directly to the front line," Ukraine's 28th Mechanized Brigade explained in a post on the Telegram messaging app, adding that Russian planes, helicopters, and reconnaissance drones appear over infantry positions regularly. In the past, soldiers could use man-portable air defenses to shoot down the aircraft, "but now the situation has changed," the 28th said, according to a translation of the statement. Russian drones"literally hang in the air, tracking every movement and not even allowing soldiers to raise their heads from the trenches." The unit said it responded to this problem by arming a ground robot with an "Igla" surface-to-air missile system, developing the country's first air defense system mounted on an uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV). The 9K38 Igla is a Soviet-era man-portable air defense system, known as MANPADS. It is essentially a shoulder-launched weapon that fires munitions at higher-threat targets like planes, helicopters, and cruise missiles that might be beyond the reach of machine guns. It's unclear how many targets this robotic system will have the chance to engage. Over the course of the war, Ukraine has destroyed or damaged over 300 Russian aircraft and helicopters, per the open-source intelligence site Oryx, which tracks equipment losses on both sides, but aircraft of all different types are still flying. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine triggered an arms race, with Moscow and Kyiv rushing to develop and field new technology that could help give them an edge in the grinding conflict. Drone warfare and robotics have emerged as leading areas of innovation by far, as uncrewed systems are being used in combat on the ground, in the air, and at sea. Russia and Ukraine have continuously tried to adapt their drones to outsmart the enemy. The air defense robot is one of the latest examples of innovation with UGVs. The Ukrainian armed forces, for instance, have been experimenting with automated machine gun turrets, which allow troops to keep their heads down in combat. Front-line units are mounting .50-caliber machine guns and grenade launchers on ground vehicles. And a Ukrainian company is said to have developed a new ground combat robot that can carry and launch multiple first-person-view drones, acting like a mothership. Other UGVs can carry out additional combat and logistics missions, such as delivering ammunition to troop positions, evacuating wounded soldiers, placing land mines, and detonating next to enemy armored vehicles.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
NATO to coordinate regular and large-scale arm deliveries to Ukraine. Most will be bought in the US
BRUSSELS — NATO has started coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine after the Netherlands said it would provide air defense equipment, ammunition and other military aid worth $578 million. Sweden also announced Tuesday it would contribute $275 million to a joint effort along with its Nordic neighbors Denmark and Norway to provide $500 million worth of air defenses, anti-tank weapons, ammunition and spare parts. Two deliveries of equipment, most of it bought in the United States, are expected this month, although the Nordic package is expected to arrive in September. The equipment is supplied based on Ukraine's priority needs on the battlefield. NATO allies then locate the weapons and ammunition and send them on. 'Packages will be prepared rapidly and issued on a regular basis,' NATO said Monday. Air defense systems are in greatest need. The United Nations has said that Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia's bigger army is also making slow but costly progress along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Currently, it is waging an operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a logistical hub whose fall could allow it to drive deeper into Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying most of the equipment they plan to send from the United States, which has greater stocks of ready military materiel, as well as more effective weapons. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine. The new deliveries will come on top of other pledges of military equipment. The Kiel Institute, which tracks support to Ukraine, estimates that as of June, European countries had provided 72 billion euros ($83 billion) worth of military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, compared to $65 billion in U.S. aid. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that 'American air defense systems and munitions, in particular, are crucial for Ukraine to defend itself.' Announcing the deliveries Monday, he said Russia's attacks are 'pure terror, intended to break Ukraine.' President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude to the Netherlands, posting on social media that 'Ukraine, and thus the whole of Europe, will be better protected from Russian terror.' He said the deliveries are coming 'at a time when Russia is trying to scale up its strikes. This will definitely help protect the lives of our people!' Germany said Friday it will deliver two more Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming days. It agreed to the move after securing assurances that the U.S. will prioritize the delivery of new Patriots to Germany to backfill its stocks. These weapon systems are only made in the U.S. As an organization, NATO provides only non-lethal assistance to Ukraine like uniforms, tents, medical supplies and logistics support. The 32-nation military alliance has mostly sought to protect NATO territory from possible Russian attack and avoid being dragged into a war against a nuclear power. But its support role has expanded since President Trump took office in January, even as his administration insists European allies must now take care of their own security and that of their war-ravaged neighbor. Trump has made no public promise of weapons or economic support for Ukraine. Trump said on July 28 that the U.S. is 'going to be sending now military equipment and other equipment to NATO, and they'll be doing what they want, but I guess it's for the most part working with Ukraine.' Cook writes for the Associated Press. Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Kirsten Grieshaber and David Keyton in Berlin contributed to this report.
