A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin wouldn’t guarantee that an American captured fighting for Ukraine would not be sentenced to the death penalty by its allied forces in eastern Ukraine, NBC News reports.
Two US military veterans, Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh, both from Alabama, were captured by Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine. They were fighting with Ukraine units made up of foreign nationals. Three other foreigners–two Brits and a Moroccan–who have been captured in the region were sentenced to death by local militia.
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman, said Drueke and Huynh were “involved in illegal activities” in Ukraine, firing on Russian troops. “Those guys on the battlefield were firing at our military guys. They were endangering their lives,” he said. “There will be a court, and there will be a court decision.”