Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh are Alabama military veterans, so it was only natural that they would bond once they met in Ukraine, where they had each come individually to defend democracy against Russian invaders.

Both guys are missing after their group came under heavy fire near the Russian border in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine on June 9, leaving loved ones at home anxiously awaiting news of their whereabouts. Both families are in contact.

"The waiting is the hardest part," Shaw added, "but we always knew this was a possibility."

The State Department of the United States is looking into accusations that Russian or Russian-backed separatist troops have kidnapped at least two Americans. According to reports, they would be the first Americans detained while fighting for Ukraine since the conflict began.

Shaw speculated that the two could just be hiding: Drueke, 39, had substantial training and experience during two tours in Iraq, while Huynh, 27, served four years in the United States. Marines.

She explained, "They know how to avoid." "It's possible they're doing just that."

Russia has not confirmed the men's identities. According to the Interfax news agency Denis Pushilin, the separatist Donetsk People's Republic president, "as of now, I don't have much information, and I cannot say." Pushilin was speaking at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg.

As the leader of an organization named Task Force Yankee, Army veteran Harrison Jozefowicz, who abandoned his job as a Chicago cop and moved to Ukraine shortly after Russia invaded, is now assisting with the placement of volunteers in battle positions and managing supplies. Several hundred Americans serve in Ukraine's International Legion of Defense, he claimed, with many more assisting on the sidelines.

At the age of 19, Shaw's nephew joined the Army after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, hoping that his experience and training with firearms would be helpful to Ukrainian troops. She stated that Drueke debated whether or not to travel for a few weeks before deciding.