Texas Father Deployed to Frontlines After Moving Family to Russia

ISTRA, Russia — Derek Huffman, a 46-year-old father from Texas, has been deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine after relocating his family to Russia to escape what he described as ‘wokeness’ in the United States. His wife, DeAnna Huffman, expressed her concerns in a recent YouTube video.

The Huffmans moved to Russia in March, celebrating what they viewed as an escape from ‘LGBTQ indoctrination’ in America. They joined a small community of families in a village near Moscow based on an invitation from American blogger Tim Kirby, who promoted life free from liberal gender norms.

To gain expedited citizenship and earn acceptance from his new country, Derek enlisted in the Russian military, believing he would serve in a non-combat role. ‘The point of this act for me is to earn a place here in Russia,’ he said in a statement to state media last month.

However, DeAnna revealed that Derek was misled during the recruitment. Instead of a welder or war correspondent role, he was deployed to combat training in a language he does not understand. ‘He feels like he’s being thrown to the wolves right now,’ she said.

Huffman, who has no prior military experience, began training in June, weeks before his deployment. DeAnna has reported that they’ve not received any promised wages for his service, heightening her concerns.

In his last recorded message to his family in June, Derek expressed his longing for them, stating, ‘I miss you all more than you can imagine. What I’m doing is important to me and to our family.’

DeAnna, who is documenting their life on the YouTube channel Huffman Time, emphasized that the family is relying on faith during this uncertain time. ‘It’s been just a few months since our family made the big move from America to Russia,’ she said. ‘While we’ve had amazing adventures, this journey has also brought deep challenges.’