In an emotional day of education, a witness of Russian-Ukrainian war atrocities talked about the Ukrainian fight for freedom on Jan. 17 in Waynesville. The all-day event, hosted by Grace Church in the Mountains, included prayer, education and a call to action.
Thought-provoking testimony was given by U.S. Army veteran and former POW Alex Drueke, who was captured and held by the Russians, surviving unbearable torture. Drueke’s declarations on the fight between Ukraine and Russia caused a hush among the 65 people attending as he described captivity and his moral duty to serve.
“This is a clear case of good versus evil, right versus wrong, against (Vladimir) Putin’s aggression.” Drueke said. He entered the action shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine February 2022, after volunteering for the Ukrainian International Legion.
Sense of duty
Drueke, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, served 12 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, with two tours in Iraq as a staff sergeant and platoon sergeant.
“Training soldiers was my favorite thing to do in the army,” Drueke said. “So when I saw the full-scale invasion happen, it wasn’t a choice to go. I felt compelled. With combat experience, I had something to offer there.”
Drueke was amazed at the diversity of the other volunteers — people from all over the world had turned out to support Ukraine.
“They were combat veterans, military veterans, law enforcement, and some had no prior experience,” Drueke said. “They just felt like the rest of us — this was the right thing to do.”
The capture
After two months training others, Drueke worked with the Ukrainian National Police, the National Guard and its army. Invited to join special forces operating from Kharkiv, he was assigned a recon mission 6 kilometers from the Russian border — fly a drone, spot Russian artillery and let the Ukrainians bomb it.
“The team got separated; myself and another American ended up stranded,” Drueke recounted. “We had no maps, no radios. We spent about 12 hours evading the enemy, trying to work our way through the woods.”
Eventually, a platoon of Russians captured them.
“They put us on our knees, and blindfolded us, with guns at our heads,” said Drueke. “I thought I was going to die.”
105 days in 2022
The Russians soon realized they captured Americans, and took them to a Russian outpost where Drueke and his fellow soldier Andy were blindfolded with guns to their heads, mocking execution. Interrogation became intense when they were moved to a semi-permanent POW camp in Russia,
“The Russians desperately wanted us to be CIA so they could say the U.S. government is directly involved, but I’m not CIA,” Drueke said. “There was torture, quite a bit of war crimes. I was forced to stand on my feet for 18 hours straight, in one position overnight. One large man punched me hard in the stomach saying, ‘Welcome to Russia.’”
“I was in solitary confinement with light on 24/7,” Drueke said. “There were constant beatings. They knew I had broken ribs, targeting those. I was brought into a basement cell, where they attached a cuff to my ear, and cranked hard on a car battery, electrocuting me four times. They never touched my face because they planned to put me on camera for propaganda.”
The captors started a process of forced phone calls to the U.S., hoping to reach the U.S. government for an exchange.
“They didn’t even know how to start, making us call ridiculous places,” Drueke said. “They had me call a state senator, though I told him state senators aren’t the U.S. government. The captor retorted, ‘No, he’s senator, you call.’”
With a list of U.S. Veterans’ services, the Russians made Drueke call the Veterans Crisis Hotline, which led to the Federal Protection Agency. When that call went through, they verified his and Andy’s identities and motion began.
But Russian captivity continued.
In the end, they put all nine English-speaking prisoners in a holding cell. The guard told them, “Maybe you’re being exchanged. Maybe this is an execution.”
They were loaded into a military truck, heads bagged and eyes taped, and driven around for 18 hours with no food, water nor bathroom breaks. Drueke said he didn’t know if they were moving prisons, being exchanged, or worse — heading to a mass execution.
They arrived at a small airport in Russia and were processed by people in middle-eastern looking clothing before boarding a Saudi Air plane.
Still the prisoners didn’t trust what was happening, wondering if this was a Russian trick to conveniently eliminate the plane and the passengers. When Saudi representatives told them it was a prisoner exchange, they gave the now freed prisoners an iPhone to call families.
After 105 days of captivity, they were free and on the way to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for processing before heading homeward.
The new mission
Drueke has gone back to Ukraine each year since his release, not to fight militarily, but to help in humanitarian ways.
“I’m dedicating my retirement to Ukraine,” Drueke said. “As horrible as this experience was, it has given me a platform to advocate for Ukraine. What you see on the news, and the stories you hear about how horrible and cruel, brutal, and evil the Russians are, it’s all true.”
Regarding peace plans now on the table to end the war, Drueke feels strongly that Ukraine should not be forced to cede any territory and that debilitating sanctions should imposed on Russia.
“Putin wants all of Ukraine, the Baltic states, Moldova,” Drueke warned. “Eventually, he’ll be in Poland if he isn’t stopped. This war needs to be won through technology and equipment — Tomahawk missiles, more M16s and drone technology.”
Amid the crises in the world and in our country, Drueke urges constituents to pressure Congress via phone calls, personal letters and emails to keep the need for Ukrainian aid at the forefront.
He’s now a spokesperson for Defense Tech for Ukraine, speaking on the need for defense tech development and support for modern drone warfare.
More testimony
Prayer for the Ukrainian people and peace in the world was held throughout the day, led by Grace associate pastor, Rev. Earle Pratt and outreach minister, Will Arledge.
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-11) stopped by, recounting his bipartisan delegation to Ukraine, spending eight days in country.
“Into the third day, I realized my stance about Ukraine: Vladimir Putin is pure evil, and absolutely needs to be stopped,” Edwards said. “Once back, I was very vocal on the need for the United States to support Ukraine. I’ve joined the Ukraine caucus, now about 80 members in Congress. Even though, unfortunately, the issue is a bit controversial, it’s not controversial with me.”
Edwards thanked the event’s organizers, Waynesville residents and Ukraine advocates John and Donna Culp, for helping keep the spotlight on this world issue.
The Culps gave an update — their 41st presentation — about their efforts delivering humanitarian aid and assistance in Explosive Ordnance Disposal training. Since the full-scale invasion, John, has been to Ukraine seven times, and Donna, six.
In April 2024, the Culps sponsored a delegation of Ukrainians to North Carolina and Virginia to see how the U.S. cares for veterans, building a bridge of mutual respect and connection.
Through their presentations, the Culps remind people that Ukraine is critically important to the U.S. and to the world as the first line of defense against Russian aggression.
“The people in Ukraine are much like us — they want freedom of speech and freedom from fear,” John said. “They are under daily assault from the aggressors. Western North Carolina, through Grace Church, the Waynesville community — and beyond — have supported fundraisers that purchased EOD equipment and assisted building the Kryvyi Rih HART rehabilitation center. This is a bridge built on trust, caring, support and humanitarian effort.”
How to help
Drueke and the Culps asked Americans to take action by contacting Congressional representatives urging increasing sanctions on Russia and continued military equipment sent to Ukraine.