Headline Roundup • July 21st, 2025
American Man Who Moved Family to Russia Sent to Frontlines of Battle in Ukraine
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Derek Huffman, a 46-year-old American man who moved his family to Russia and joined the Russian military, has reportedly been sent to the frontlines in Ukraine after initially being promised a non-combat role.
The Details: Huffman moved with his wife, three children, and dog from Texas to Russia to live in an “anti-woke” village for Americans spearheaded by American-born blogger Tim Kirby in spring 2025. He joined the army seeking citizenship, according to a now-deleted video posted on the family’s YouTube page by his wife, DeAnna, in June. DeAnna said he was initially told he would work as a media correspondent or repairman, but was instead placed in a “foreigners unit” to be sent to the frontlines.
Current Update: Updates on Derek’s status have been limited since then, though on July 15, DeAnna said Derek was “doing fine… alive and safe.” DeAnna also said in comments that he was not at the “absolute front” line but “close to it,” and his military service is set to conclude in May 2026.
For Context: In April 2025, news broke that Michael Gloss, the 21-year-old son of a CIA official, was killed while fighting for Russia in Ukraine in April 2024. Last month, DeAnna told Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti, “[Moscow] charmed us with its rich history, vibrant culture, and welcoming atmosphere… we figured out whether moving to Russia would fit our family’s needs and values. However, it wasn’t until we saw Moscow in person that we truly felt a connection.” A July 15 report from Vot Tak, a Russian-language media outlet that, according to Wikipedia, is co-funded by the Polish state, said only two families moved to the Russian “anti-woke” village.
How The Media Covered It: Despite DeAnna’s now-deleted June video update appearing on Reddit in mid-June, the story was just picked up by some major news outlets in recent days. Outlets included information from the June video, but not from the most recent July 15 update. The Daily Beast (Left bias) included information on the Huffmans’ admiration for Russia. As of early Monday, the story was not widely covered by mainstream media.
Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission.
Featured Coverage of this Story
HuffmanTime/Youtube
An American father who moved to Russia to avoid LGBTQ+ “indoctrination” for his kids is being sent to the front line in Ukraine, despite being assured he would serve in a non-combat role.
Derek Huffman, 46, feels he is being “thrown to the wolves” after being told that his job in the military would be as a correspondent or as a welder, his wife, DeAnna, said in a recorded plea for prayers, which has since been removed from her YouTube page.
A U.S. father who moved to Russia in a bid to protect his kids from LGBTQ "indoctrination" is feeling buyer's remorse after he was reportedly sent to the front lines in the invasion of Ukraine despite assurances he wouldn't see combat.
The family of an American man who moved to Russia to escape "LGBT indoctrination" says he has been "fed to the wolves" and deployed to the frontline. Derek Huffman, 46, from Texas moved to Moscow in the pursuit of "traditional values" and enlisted in the military in order to gain citizenship with assurances that he would not be deployed in a combat role.
The Huffmans moved to a village outside Moscow which was founded by American blogger Tim Kirby, which seeks to entice families seeking to escape the "liberal gender norm," and "avoid...
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