Latest news with #HuffmanTime
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wife Says Anti-Woke American Dad Who Joined Russian Army Is ‘Alive and Doing Well'
The wife of Derek Huffman, who earlier this year relocated his family from Texas to Russia to escape 'LGBT indoctrination'—and was sent last month into active duty fighting in Ukraine—has released an update on her husband's combat experience. In the comment section of a July 15 YouTube video updating viewers about her family's life in Russia, DeAnna Huffman said that her husband is alive and healthy. 'He's not missing. Or ever was,' DeAnna wrote, responding to rumors that he was missing in action. She said that she spoke to him on the phone the night before the video was posted. 'All I can say is he's alive and doing well. Thank you for your support.' While she maintained that she couldn't share any specific information about Derek's whereabouts, she did claim that he is located 'not [at] the absolute front, but close to it.' DeAnna, 42, is a former teacher and floral designer while Derek, 46, formerly worked in welding and construction. The couple share three daughters. DeAnna has fastidiously documented the family's move from the US to Moscow online, frequently posting videos of their new life based in 'traditional values.' Their YouTube account, Huffman Time, has 11,000 followers. Derek enlisted in the Russian military in May, hoping to expedite his path to citizenship, but was surprised to find in June that he was being moved into a combat role. The former handyman has no military experience and had expected to serve as a war correspondent or welder. In a YouTube 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, saying that the family is 'believing in God that everything will work out how it's supposed to.' In a June interview with Russia Today, DeAnna framed his choice to fight as a way to 'stand up for what he believes in and fight for a cause he supports.' It's unknown exactly how many American citizens have joined Russia's brutal war efforts against Ukraine, but in February 2024 the Washington Post estimated that at least 50 Americans had died fighting in the war on behalf of Ukraine. In April that year, a Texas native who had previously fought for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine was killed during fighting in the Russia-occupied territory of Donetsk. His wife claimed that he had been abducted by Russian soldiers, while authorities claimed he had gone missing. An American think-tank estimated in June that 250,000 Russian troops have been killed during the war, alongside about 100,000 Ukrainian troops. Putin's army has been accused of war crimes in Ukraine by the International Criminal Court, including the mass abduction of Ukrainian children to Russia and the intentional bombing of hospitals and schools. Solve the daily Crossword
Novaya Gazeta Europe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
In the Army now. After moving his family from Texas to Russia in search of ‘traditional values', Derek Huffman now finds himself at war — Novaya Gazeta Europe
In March, 46-year-old Derek Huffman and his family left their home in Texas and moved to Russia, in search of 'traditional values' they felt were lacking in the US. Initially, they were overwhelmingly positive about their new life in videos they posted to their YouTube channel, but that all changed in late May, when the Huffmans became embroiled in a war they had only seen on TV. The last time Derek Huffman posted a video of himself, he addressed his family from a Russian military training camp: 'You can see my face, see I'm doing well, probably see I've lost a few pounds … I miss you all more than you can imagine and I can't wait to see you. Hopefully I get a vacation at some point and I get to come home and spend a couple of weeks with you.' Big Water is the first of multiple planned communities in rural Russia for foreigners fleeing the 'woke mind virus'. Earlier this year, the Huffman family — Derek, DeAnna, and their three daughters — settled in Big Water, a remote, purpose-built village near the Moscow region town of Istra that's about an hour's journey from the Russian capital. The so-called American Village project was launched two years ago by the American-born pro-Kremlin propagandist Tim Kirby for Americans keen to live with 'like-minded individuals', and Big Water is the first of multiple planned communities in rural Russia for foreigners fleeing the 'woke mind virus'. Speaking about the project to state-affiliated tabloid Argumenty i Fakty, Kirby cited escaping 'LGBT propaganda' as the main reason Americans chose to move to Russia. 'In the West, it's everywhere: advertising, computer games, even in schools. Children are being forced to believe that this is the norm.' Last year, Vladimir Putin made the process of relocation to Russia a whole lot easier when he issued a decree granting foreigners who share 'traditional Russian spiritual and moral values' temporary residency permits, removing a legal requirement for them to have passed a Russian language test. The Huffman family's ID cards issued by the Russian Interior Ministry. Source: YouTube / Huffman Time The Huffmans are reportedly one of two families who call Big Water home. Their elderly neighbours, the Barretts, who left their relatives behind in the US to start a new life in Russia, are reportedly finding it challenging to form connections with Russians due to the language barrier. The houses in Big Water are small, white modular structures — humble lodgings given that the Americans sold almost all their assets to buy them. Despite having three children, the Huffmans now live in a two-bedroom house, and much of the surrounding area still looks like a construction site. 'They want us to be fat and dumb' Back in the US, Derek Huffman had been outraged by what he saw as 'the LGBT indoctrination of kids', where, in his words, even 'cartoons are about sex and gender'. His concern extended to other aspects of life in the US: 'The food in America is so unhealthy. They want us to be fat and dumb, controllable,' resolving to create a better life for his daughters. The family's first move was from Arizona to Texas, where they hoped to find a more conservative environment. But they were disappointed by the 'propaganda' they felt had infiltrated the Texas school system. After that, the couple began homeschooling their daughters, but found even that insufficient. It was at that point that Derek stumbled across an article about Kirby and his American Villages project. In videos made before his deployment, Derek frequently mused on the 'decline of the West', fretted about what he said were 'pornographic books' in US libraries, and bemoaned the indoctrination of children in schools. 'Russia is a different matter,' he says in one. In another he says, 'I'm just thankful we were able to find this and get an opportunity to raise our children the way we want,' before calling Russia a 'great country' and Putin an 'amazing leader.' The Huffman daughters in Russia. Source: YouTube / Huffman Time The struggle is real On 26 May, DeAnna announced that her husband had enlisted to serve in the Russian army, and even recorded herself giving the news to her daughters: 'Daddy just sent me a picture. He has signed the contract. It's official. He signed his army contract.' The girls didn't react. In an effort to get fast-tracked Russian citizenship for himself and his family, Derek signed up to serve in the military, a quid pro quo used by many foreign citizens hoping to become naturalised in Russia. Speaking about how so many of the migrants who had come to the US had no respect for the local culture and didn't attempt to integrate, Derek said that he didn't want to be seen by Russians in the same light and that he was determined to earn 'the right to live in Russia'. In the video, he seems to be sold on the Kremlin's false narrative of the war: 'I know enough to know that Russia is just in their cause and they are doing the right thing. And this Nazi regime and Ukraine needs to be stopped.' DeAnna's tone changed noticeably in a new video she posted on 8 June, in which she admitted that Derek had found his basic military training to be tough. 'It's hard of course because it's the military in Russia, so it is definitely a struggle. He is eating every day but not a lot because between his stomach not feeling the best and the food being a little bit dry.' DeAnna added that many people had asked her why they couldn't afford a car. She explains that as a 'migrant worker' in Russia, Derek receives a far smaller salary than the one used to promote migration to the country from abroad. She goes on to say that the equipment the military issued to her husband was substandard — seemingly unaware that such public statements could lead to a criminal prosecution in Russia — but added that a 'gentleman who has been amazing' gave Derek boots, a bulletproof vest and a helmet. DeAnna Huffman at home in Istra. Source: YouTube / Huffman Time Thrown to the wolves In mid-June, DeAnna confessed to her followers that after three years in recovery from severe alcoholism, she had fallen off the wagon and started drinking again. Days after that, she again took to YouTube to say that she believed her husband had been duped. The family had expected him to be kept safe during his tour of duty, DeAnna said, adding that Derek had just been told that he would be deployed to the frontline. 'We thought because he had a welding certificate and really good background in construction and welding that he would be put in a spot that would be safe and or safer and utilise his experiences but unfortunately we're not sure that that's what is going to happen,' she said. DeAnna said Derek had even attempted to be given non-combat roles such as a military reporter or as part of a repair battalion, but neither option turned out to be possible. 'He feels like he's been thrown to the wolves right now, and he's kind of having to lean on faith, and that's what we're all kind of doing.' 'And the foreigners unit is still being taught in Russian and he doesn't understand Russian very well. So he's kind of struggling a bit with that, and not getting really any training,' DeAnna said. 'He feels like he's been thrown to the wolves right now, and he's kind of having to lean on faith, and that's what we're all kind of doing. So we are gathering together and asking everybody to just pray that something can be done. We are petitioning some public figures to hopefully help.' In a now-deleted video that remains available on Reddit, DeAnna said that above all else Derek now needs money, as he's been asked to help 'pay for supplies,' for his unit, and as his military salary had not yet been paid out, DeAnna says that she has been unable to send him money herself. DeAnna declined to respond to Novaya Gazeta Europe's question about Derek's current whereabouts. For about a month, DeAnna's videos barely mentioned Derek, and focused on her daughters instead, who seem to spend all their time at home with her. Russian state-run media, which initially did numerous segments on the family's relocation from the US, also appears to have lost interest in the story. On 26 July, DeAnna posted an audio recording of her speaking to her husband by phone, set to a montage of the family photographs taken in happier times. 'I have to go soon. I have a lot of work to do, but I wanted some parting words,' Derek says in the recording. 'For all the people saying I'm a Christian, yet I joined an army so I could kill Ukrainians, I don't relish the idea of taking life. You know, but I'm doing what I think is right… and of course I'm alive and well.'
New York Post
22-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
American father-of-three who joined Russian army to escape ‘woke' US has been sent to the frontlines, wife says
A Texas father-of-three who moved his family to Russia and joined the military to escape 'wokeness' in the US has been sent to the frontlines of Moscow's meat grinder, his wife said. Derek Huffman, 46, claimed he was being tossed under the bus after being deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine despite assurances from the Russian military that he would be serving in a non-combat role, his wife DeAnna said in a now deleted YouTube page, according to the Telegraph. 'He feels like he's being thrown to the wolves right now, and he's kind of having to lean on faith, and that's what we're all doing,' she said of her husband's situation. 4 Texan Derek Huffman moved to Russia together with his family to escape 'wokeness' in the US. X / HuffmanTime 4 Huffman went on to join the Russian military, where he was allegedly promised a non-combat role, only for him to be deployed to the frontlines, his wife claims. YouTube / HuffmanTime The Huffmans had moved to Russia in March, with the father-of-three celebrating what he called an escape from the LGBTQ 'indoctrination' in America. He was one of two families who reportedly answered American blogger Tim Kirby's invitation to move to a village outside Moscow to be free of the 'liberal gender norm.' To secure an expedited citizenship process for his family and to earn the respect of his new countrymen, Huffman told Russian state media that he would gladly join the military. 'The point of this act for me is to earn a place here in Russia,' he told state media last month. 4 Huffman claimed he was happy to enlist in the army to expedite his citizenship process and earn the respect of his new countrymen. '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,' he added. DeAnna, however, claims he was misled during the military recruitment process, where Russian officers allegedly promised him a role as a welder or war correspondent. Instead, Huffman, who has no prior military experience, underwent training in a language he did not understand and was shipped off to fight in the frontlines, where hundreds of Russian troops are killed every week. 4 His wife, DeAnna, said her husband has no prior military experience and received little training by the time he learned he would be deployed to fight Ukraine. YouTube / HuffmanTime 'Unfortunately, when you're taught in a different language, and you don't understand the language, how are you really getting taught?' DeAnna pointed out. 'You're not.' '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,' she added. The confused wife also claimed that even after a month of service, the family has yet to receive any of the wages promised to Huffman. Huffman was last seen on his family's social media accounts during a Father's Day message to his wife and kids in June, which showed him wearing camouflage and speaking to them directly. '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,' he added.
The Irish Sun
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Dad who moved family to Russia to flee ‘woke' West is sent to front line – as wife says he's been ‘thrown to the wolves'
A TEXAN dad has been sent to the front line by Vladimir Putin after he moved his young family to Russia to escape "woke" America. Derek Huffman, 46, has been "thrown to the wolves" by the deranged Russian wartime regime with his family now reportedly begging the US government to save him. 5 Texan Derek Huffman, 46, has been sent to the front line by Vladimir Putin after moving his family to Russia Credit: YouTube/@HuffmanTime 5 Derek with his young family in Moscow Credit: YouTube/@HuffmanTime 5 Derek's wife DeAnna says her partner has been 'thrown to the wolves' Credit: YouTube/@HuffmanTime Derek uprooted his home life and jetted off to the small town of Istra, just 25 miles from Moscow, alongside his wife, their three daughters and their husky earlier this year. The Texan, along with wife DeAnna, decided to move to Russia after claiming the US education system had become too progressive. The couple said the final straw was when their daughter Sophia was taught about the idea of being a lesbian at school. A trip to Moscow in 2023 later convinced the family that Russia was the perfect place to bring up their children in a traditional society. read more in Russia Derek applied via the 'shared values' visa scheme which attempts to The family made the move and expected to start their dream lives. But Derek soon found himself in trouble after he agreed to join the Russian military in a non-combat capacity. He believed he would be given a role such as a welder or a war correspondent due to his lack of experience as a soldier. Most read in The US Sun But DeAnna revealed in a vlog uploaded to the family's YouTube channel that her husband has now been drafted to "near" the front line as a fully fledged fighter. The heartbroken wife says she fears for Derek's life as he doesn't speak any Russian and had only been given a limited amount of training. How Putin is 'weaponising Westerners' by offering safe haven to Russia-obsessed crackpots including Brits She said: "He feels like he's being thrown to the wolves right now, and he's kind of having to lean on faith, and that's what we're all doing." Since being deployed to fight against Ukraine , Derek has only been able to speak to his loved ones on a handful of occasions. His last message came in June, on Father's Day in the US, as he spoke to his family while wearing camouflage and military gear. He held back tears as he said: "I miss you all more than you can imagine. "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." In the months since, the family have only said he is "doing fine". 5 Derek speaks no Russian and was given very little combat training before being shipped out Credit: YouTube/@HuffmanTime 5 Derek applied via the 'shared values' visa scheme which attempts to attract foreigners who reject 'destructive neoliberal ideologies' Putin claims are pushed by the West Credit: AP And amid the lack of information, a mystery Telegram group has been set up titled: "Save that little girls." The group was shared by the family online but the link has been deleted since. Created only on Sunday, the sole message from the account said: "We are asking the United States government to save this family." It was shared along with a picture of DeAnna and her daughters crying in the street. Derek happily signed up for the military when he first arrived as he wanted to show his appreciation for his new country by "risking his life". Being alone in a new country, raising kids, and trying to stay strong has tested me in ways I never imagined DeAnna Huffman He claimed he wanted to "earn a place in Russia" without being given free handouts. But DeAnna has since claimed her husband was seriously misled. She said: "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. "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 terrified mom added: "It's been just a few months since our family made the big move from America to Russia. "While we've had amazing adventures, this journey has also brought deep challenges. "Being alone in a new country, raising kids, and trying to stay strong has tested me in ways I never imagined." How Putin is 'weaponizing Westerners' by offering safe haven to Russia TYRANT Putin has changed Russian immigration laws to tempt people to ditch the West and seek asylum in his country with "traditional values". He signed a decree to streamline the Russian immigration process - waiving off immigration quotas and the need for Russian language exams - for foreigners opposed to the Western idea of democracy. The dictator recently passed a law allowing foreign nationals who fight in his meatgrinder war in Ukraine to seek fast-track citizenship in Russia - along with their entire family. Reports by the Russian embassy in London claim at least at least 34 people have requested to move to Russia from the UK after Putin signed the decree on August 19. Those who applied have not had to prove they can speak Russian or have any knowledge of the 'history and fundamentals of Russian legislation", Putin's new tactic has already paved the way for American citizen Leo Lionel, his wife Chantel Felice Haer and their three children, aged 16, 14, and 11. Lionel said: "Personally I want to thank your President Putin for allowing Russia to become a good place for families in this world climate. "We intend to use this opportunity to benefit our family. I feel like I've been put in an arch of safety. And it's very important." Canadian passport holder Arend Feinstra with his wife also left their country and moved to Russia with their eight children. He said of his move: "We didn't feel safe with our children there and for the future." The grandson of the French war hero Charles de Gaulle last year said he wanted Russian citizenship because the country offered "great possibilities".
Scottish Sun
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Dad who moved family to Russia to flee ‘woke' West is sent to front line – as wife says he's been ‘thrown to the wolves'
A mystery Telegram group has recently been set up titled 'save that little girls' featuring pictures of the dad's family PUTIN'S FODDER Dad who moved family to Russia to flee 'woke' West is sent to front line – as wife says he's been 'thrown to the wolves' A TEXAN dad has been sent to the front line by Vladimir Putin after he moved his young family to Russia to escape "woke" America. Derek Huffman, 46, has been "thrown to the wolves" by the deranged Russian wartime regime with his family now reportedly begging the US government to save him. Advertisement 5 Texan Derek Huffman, 46, has been sent to the front line by Vladimir Putin after moving his family to Russia Credit: YouTube/@HuffmanTime 5 Derek with his young family in Moscow Credit: YouTube/@HuffmanTime 5 Derek's wife DeAnna says her partner has been 'thrown to the wolves' Credit: YouTube/@HuffmanTime Derek uprooted his home life and jetted off to the small town of Istra, just 25 miles from Moscow, alongside his wife, their three daughters and their husky earlier this year. The Texan, along with wife DeAnna, decided to move to Russia after claiming the US education system had become too progressive. The couple said the final straw was when their daughter Sophia was taught about the idea of being a lesbian at school. A trip to Moscow in 2023 later convinced the family that Russia was the perfect place to bring up their children in a traditional society. Advertisement Derek applied via the 'shared values' visa scheme which attempts to attract foreigners who reject "destructive neoliberal ideologies" Putin claims are pushed by the West. The family made the move and expected to start their dream lives. But Derek soon found himself in trouble after he agreed to join the Russian military in a non-combat capacity. He believed he would be given a role such as a welder or a war correspondent due to his lack of experience as a soldier. Advertisement But DeAnna revealed in a vlog uploaded to the family's YouTube channel that her husband has now been drafted to "near" the front line as a fully fledged fighter. The heartbroken wife says she fears for Derek's life as he doesn't speak any Russian and had only been given a limited amount of training. How Putin is 'weaponising Westerners' by offering safe haven to Russia-obsessed crackpots including Brits She said: "He feels like he's being thrown to the wolves right now, and he's kind of having to lean on faith, and that's what we're all doing." Since being deployed to fight against Ukraine, Derek has only been able to speak to his loved ones on a handful of occasions. Advertisement His last message came in June, on Father's Day in the US, as he spoke to his family while wearing camouflage and military gear. He held back tears as he said: "I miss you all more than you can imagine. "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. Advertisement "Just know I will do whatever it takes to be safe and to come home to you. Take care of each other." In the months since, the family have only said he is "doing fine". 5 Derek speaks no Russian and was given very little combat training before being shipped out Credit: YouTube/@HuffmanTime 5 Derek applied via the 'shared values' visa scheme which attempts to attract foreigners who reject 'destructive neoliberal ideologies' Putin claims are pushed by the West Credit: AP Advertisement And amid the lack of information, a mystery Telegram group has been set up titled: "Save that little girls." The group was shared by the family online but the link has been deleted since. Created only on Sunday, the sole message from the account said: "We are asking the United States government to save this family." It was shared along with a picture of DeAnna and her daughters crying in the street. Advertisement Derek happily signed up for the military when he first arrived as he wanted to show his appreciation for his new country by "risking his life". Being alone in a new country, raising kids, and trying to stay strong has tested me in ways I never imagined DeAnna Huffman He claimed he wanted to "earn a place in Russia" without being given free handouts. But DeAnna has since claimed her husband was seriously misled. She said: "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. Advertisement "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 terrified mom added: "It's been just a few months since our family made the big move from America to Russia. "While we've had amazing adventures, this journey has also brought deep challenges. "Being alone in a new country, raising kids, and trying to stay strong has tested me in ways I never imagined." Advertisement
