American Father and Vlogger Tricked Into Front Line Combat by Russia

Derek Huffman, an American man from Texas, moved his wife DeAnna and three children to Russia in search of “traditional values”, but the father of three is now being sent to the front lines in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine after assurances that he would have a non-combat role.

The family moved to Russia in 2025 to be a part of Tim Kirby’s “American Village” project. Kirby is an American media personality who has been living in Russia since 2006 and supports Putin.

In May, Derek, who has no military experience, joined the Russian military, being promised work as a welder, but was sent to the front after just weeks of training.

His wife, De Anna, took to social media to plead her case after her husband was duped into front-line combat after just weeks of training in the Russian language, which Derek and his American family do not speak or understand.

“Derek, 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,” said DeAnna, in a video recorded in Russia.

The Huffman family seems to finance their move and new life in Russia through solicitations on Social Media. and YouTube channel, and have appeared in numerous Russian propaganda videos. 

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In an earlier video on their YouTube channel, Derek explained that he was joining the Russian army to gain citizenship for his family in one year, as opposed to the longer traditional migration process. He also mentioned the signing bonus and that he is hoping to gain the respect to “earn” his place in Russia. 

“I don’t want anyone here in Russia to say that we dont 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. And nobody can tell me different, or tell my family different. That we don’t belong here,” said Derek in the video filmed last month.

“We are hoping that he can be utilized for his skills and not be used just as a fighter. Unfortunately, there was a few things not quite done that should have been done, and now we are just believing in god that everything is going to work out as it is supposed to,” said DeAnna, in her social media appeal.

Derek was originally promised a job as a war correspondent, then as a mechanic in a repair battalion because of his experience as a welder. 

Instead, his unit of foreigners is reportedly being trained, hastily, in Russian, for frontline combat. 

“Unfortunately, he feels like he is being thrown to the wolves right now, and he is kind of having to lean on faith.”

The family solicited prayers and is petitioning unspecified public figures to have Derek reassigned. 

His wife DeAnna also reported that Derek and the others in his unit were forced to “donate” 10,000 rubles for their own “supplies,” which took a substantial part of his paycheck. 

His wife reported that she has not received any pay or bonus after one month.

Derek is not the first American to have misfortune in Russia in recent years. In April 2024, Michael Gloss, the 21-year-old son of a CIA executive, was killed while fighting for Moscow in Ukraine.