Father-of-three who fled to Russia to escape 'woke' America '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 US 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 Mr Huffman called 'a fresh start in a country that respects family vaules'.
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 - Mr 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, Mr Huffman appears in full camouflage, speaking directly to his children.
'I miss you all more than you can imagine,' he said. '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. 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 titled Save that Little Girls where an emotional photo of DeAnna and her daughters crying in the street was posted alongside a plea - 'We are asking the United States government to save this family.'
It remains unclear who created the group.
The Huffmans' controversial decision to flee America came after growing frustration with progressive teachings in schools.
After a move from Arizona to Texas, Mr 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,' Mr 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 US 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.
Mr Huffman was eager to prove his loyalty, insisting he was not searching for handouts.
'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. 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.'
It comes after Russia's wartime toll of dead and wounded reached a historic milestone last month.
According to the British Ministry of Defence, more than one million Russian troops have been killed or injured since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022.
The estimate aligns with a recent study by the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, which puts Russian military deaths at up to 250,000 and total casualties, including the wounded, at over 950,000.
In just over three years, Russian fatalities are estimated to be five times higher than the combined death toll from all Soviet and Russian wars between the end of the second world war and the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
The family's attempt to escape cultural tensions in the West has led them into the heart of a geopolitical warzone, and with no updates since June, they are left clinging to hope.
'Being alone in a new country, raising kids, and trying to stay strong has tested me in ways I never imagined,' she confessed.
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