Mom of US Military Veteran Held in Ukraine by Russian-backed Forces Speaks to Son by Phone

Lois "Bunny" Drueke, the mom of a U.S. military veteran who went missing after he traveled to help Ukraine in its war against Russia, has spoken with her son by telephone, the family announced on Wednesday, June 29.

The Tuscaloosa native answered a call from what appeared to be a Russian exchange and was able to talk to her son Alex Drueke for nearly 10 minutes on Tuesday, June 28, according to the Associated Press. It was their first conversation since Alex and Andy Huynh, another Alabama military veteran who traveled to Ukraine, were captured after a fight earlier this month in the war-torn country.

Drueke said in a statement released by her family that the captors holding her son were anxious to begin negotiations and that Alex had food, water, and bedding. She added that her son sounded tired and stressed and was reciting some things he had been made to practice or read. The worried mom said it was still wonderful to hear her son's voice and know he was alive and alright.

No contact between Drueke and Huynh for several days now

According to the mother, Alex said he had not been in contact with Huynh for several days now. The United States has said that both men should be protected under the Geneva Conventions as prisoners of war.

Joy Black, Huyhn's fiance, said his family was thrilled that Alex was able to speak with his mom, and they are still hoping to get a similar communication from Andy in the future. Drueke and Huynh did not return to a meeting spot after their group came under heavy fire from Russian troops in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine near the Russian border on June 9.

The two military veterans traveled separately to help Ukraine in the war against Russia. Their relatives said they became buddies there in part because of their shared Alabama background, according to CBS News.

The U.S. State Department said it was looking into reports that Russian or Russian-backed separatist forces had captured at least two American citizens in Ukraine. If confirmed, they would be the first Americans fighting for the country of Ukraine known to have been captured since the war started on February 24.

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Civilian casualties rising in Ukraine as the war intensifies

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), they have recorded 10,631 civilian casualties in Ukraine since the conflict started on February 24. A total of 4,731 people had been killed in the war - 1,812 men, 1,225 women, 155 boys, and 134 girls, as well as 1,364 adults and 41 children whose sex is yet unknown.

A total of 5,900 people had been injured in the war, broken down to 1,196 men, 829 women, 174 boys, and 131 girls, as well as 3,386 adults and 184 children whose sex is yet unknown. Most of the casualties have been recorded in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with 2,773 people killed and 3,256 injured.

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