drueke, a former u.s. army staff sergeant who served two tours in iraq according to his family, and 27-year-old andy huynh, a former marine, both were serving near the eastern city of kharkiv and according to andy's fiancee joy black they went missing last thursday. she got the dreaded call from a friend of andy's in ukraine on monday >> he told me how during an operation they got separated and that andy and alex did not make their rendezvous point. >> what did you do then >> my mom has a big pillow on her bed and i just kind of lik fell on it and cried a lot. >> reporter: back in april 21-year-old black dropped off her new fiance at the airport. >> can you tell me the last time you saw him? i know it's hard. >> i gave him a hug, and he kissed me, and he told me he loves me and he'll be back soon >> reporter: like black alex drueke's mother last heard from her son on june 8th. >> i wrote back, stay safe and i love you. and he wrote back -- i'm sorry. he wrote back, i love you, too and that's the last i hea

the mother of alex drueke, one of the americans missing in ukraine. and bunny, i'm so sorry you're going through this incredibly stressful time. just total uncertainty and fear. i know there's that new video tonight airing on pro russian channels that appears to show alex detained. where he identifies his name, his age, his hometown in alabama. we are not going to broadcast that video, but i know that you have seen it. what was your reaction? >> well, of course it has not been verified, but looking at it, the person moves like alex does. he gestures like alex does, and i recognized alex's voice. it's very drich. we told him he needed to be a broadcaster of some kind. i feel 99.9% sure it's alex, but we're waiting for the state department to confirm it. >> i know you have been speaking to the state department daily and i know you spoke with them today. do you have any idea when they think is video was taken or of where your son could be? >> if so, they have not shared that information with us. all they said was that they expected to verify that it's au

alex drueke's family says the state department told them they will not negotiate with his captors. and that's because the breakaway region they control isn't recognized by anyone as a legal entity other than russia. david? >> all right, james longman in ukraine again tonight. james, thank you. >>> back here at home tonight, and to the growing horror in the deadliest human smuggling case in u.s. history. the death toll growing. and tonight, what mexican authorities are now saying about the suspected driver, now in custody. here's our chief national correspondent matt gutman in san antonio. >> reporter: the death toll from that migrant smuggling horror continues to rise tonight, up to 53. over 60 men, women, and children in that trailer, where temperatures likely topped 150 degrees. organ failure begins at 109 degrees. the truck was removed from this isolated road, but what's left here is the debris from that first aid operation, the effort to try to revive those who were in that truck. and, of course, some of the victims' clothes, as well. and authorities say the driver is in custod

"outfront" for us next, i speak to the mother of alex drueke, an american captured in ukraine. she spoke to alex, also spoke to the state department today, we'll find out what they told her. >>> and the supreme court giving president biden one victory today, allowing him to end a trump-era immigration rule. we'll be right back. and i get seven days to love it or my money back... i love it! i thought online meant no one to help me, but susan from carvana had all the answers. she didn't try to upsell me. not once, because they're not salespeople! what are you...? guess who just checked in on me? mom... susan from carvana! [laughs] we'll drive you happy at carvana. this is john. he hasn't worked this hard to only get this far with his cholesterol. taken with a statin, leqvio can lower bad cholesterol and keep it low with two doses a year. side effects were injection site reaction, joint pain, urinary tract infection, diarrhea, chest cold, pain in legs or arms, and shortness of breath. with leqvio, lowering cholesterol becomes just one more thing life throws your way. ask your doct

they spoke to them, but we are not showing those interviews alex drueke is a former u.s. army staff sergeant, and andy huyhn is a former marine both had gone to volunteer to fight with ukrainian troops. >> i mean, they don't look bad they look good they don't look injured so i think that's quite promising if it turns out to be real. >> reporter: huynh's fiancee' joy black speaking with us tonight. >> every little bit of information is building up the hope to really get them home as soon as possible. >> reporter: there is no news of a reported third american missing in ukraine earlier, president biden with this message. >> we don't know where they are, but i want to reiterate, americans should not be going to ukraine now. >> reporter: no mention of the men from president putin a defiant speech, today. accusing the u.s. of thinking of itself as quote god's own messengers on planet earth while getting a political boost from china's president xi sending a video address, praising the strong resilience of their relationship at today's st. petersburg economic forum president put

i'll share my conversation with the aunt of one of those men, alex drueke. there he is. >>> and as we wait for supreme court rulings, big ones, to come in the next hour, cnn takes a look at how abortions have already become nearly impossible in the state of oklahoma. think he's posting about all that ancient roman coinage? no, he's seizing the moment with merrill. moving his money into his investment account in real time and that's... how you collect coins. your money never stops working for you with merrill, a bank of america company. more protection, more sun, more joy. neutrogena® beach defense® the suncare brand used most by dermatatologists and their families, neutrogena® for people with skin. before treating your chronic migraine— a month, 15 or ms each lasting 4 hours or more you're not the only one with questions about botox®. botox® preventheadaches in adults with chronic migraine fore they even start—with about 10 minutes of treatment once every 3 months. so, ask your doctor if botox® is right for you, and if a sample is available. effect

drueke and andy huynh. where are they? who is holding them and what happens next? >> well, sir, they're soldiers of fortune, and they were involved in the territory of ukraine. they were involved in firing and shelling our military personnel. they were endangering their life. and they should be responsible. they should be held responsible for those -- for those crimes. that they have committed. those crimes have to be investigated. you have in your place in your place, to ensure that the investigation under crimes is being completed. >> by russian authorities or by donetsk authorities? >> by authorities. >> are they prisoners of war? >> huh? >> are they prisoners of war? >> i wouldn't start explaining the judicial side of their capture. the only thing is clear, they've committed crimes. >> what are the crimes knife committed? so as you know, under the geneva conventions, in a conflict is not something that you can be tried for. so what are the crimes are you talking about? >> they are in not in the ukrainia

alex drueke and andy huynh where are they and who's holding them and what's next? >> they are soldiers of fortune, an they were involved in illegal activities on the territory of ukraine. they were involved in firing and shelling our military personnel. they were endangering their life they should be held responsible for those crimes that they have committed. >> reporter: in an exclusive intervie i asked the kremlin spokesperson peskov about the two british nationals and the moroccan captured by separatists rebels in ukraine now sentenced to death >> can you guarantee that these americans will not face the same fate >> no, i can't guarantee anything it depends on the investigation. >> reporter: we asked about another american being held in russia, wnba star brittney griner who was detained at the airport in februar accused of carrying vaping cartridges >> she was taking part in sports. it is a terrible message that she should be arrested >> it is also a terrible message to bring some forbidden essences and materials to this country, and it is prosecuted by russian

joining us is bunny drueke, the mother of alex drueke, one of two americans being held captive. good to see you again. i understand you were able to speak with alex on the phone yesterday. tell us about it? >> yes, jake, i was. the connection was very poor, but i could hear him. i know it was him. it was wonderful. >> and we should point out, alex was apparently reading from a script during your conversation. the state department is characterizing the conversation with him as being under duress. he was under duress. with that said, what was he able to tell you about how he's being treated, how he's doing? >> well, i could tell when he was having to say something that they were telling him to say, which was that he's being held by the donetsk people's republic and that they are wanting to negotiate. he also said that they appeared to not understand how governments work so slowly, and so they were really pressing him to press me to try to get this word out. he also said that he has food and water. he has a place to sleep. he's in solitary confinement. and then his voice changed a

the whereabouts of her fiance, 27-year-old andy hunyh, along with 39-year-old alex drueke are still unknown. their families say hunyh did humanitarian work with church o fit, buth drueke ai ended up on the front line. >> i hope we can get answers and find out where they are and get them home. that's all i want is andy back. >> reporter: both men from alabama were fighting with a unit of foreign volunteers when something went wrong. their fellow soldiers called drueke's mom bonnie to tell her the news. >> all but two of the people had made it back, and alex and andy were the two that had not reported in yet. >> reporter: the kremlin has not confirmed their capture, but russian state media wasted no time discussing their punishment. based on the precedent there will be a death sentence, presenter asked this lawmaker. yes, there are no other options. an unthinkable fate for alex's mom. >> i'm not worried about him being in the russian hands, not because of russia but because i know is alex's character. he is brave. he is tough. he is well trained. there's part of him that's going, yes, i can d

new video from russia-controlled media showing alex drueke and an andy huynh delivered from ukraine. drueke delivering a message to his mother. >> mom, i want to let you know that i'm alive and i hope to be back home as soon as i can be. >> the men, both from alabama, both veterans, went missing about a week ago. the third american missing is retired marine captain grady kirpai. his family hasn't heard from him since april. president biden saying he's been briefed on the situation. >> we don't know where they are, but i want to reiterate, americans should not be going to ukraine. >> the kremlin denies having any information about the americans. we'll continue to stay on top of this story. >>> we turn now to the new film showing a different side of the king, elvis presley. nearly a dozen actors have previously swiveled their hips to portray the rock 'n' roll icon, but elvis' own family says this latest iteration gets it just right. abc's chris connelly sat down with the presley family and the film's all-star cast at graceland. >> reporter: the world has seen plenty of performers go fr

meanwhile, the mother of alex drueke one of the americans recently captured in ukraine says her son was spoken to the state department and sounded strong. she says he's apparently being treated hue mainly. drueke was volunteering with ukrainian forces when captured by pro russian forces. >>> walmart says a new lawsuit is fraud. the ftc says it allowed its money transfer services to be manipulated by services. they say fraudsters stole millions of dollars from customers. even training its employees not to tell customers about potential fraud. walmart denies the claim saying its anti-fraud efforts have protected countless consumers. >>> a different kind of alleged deception, this time from a top accounting firm. the government is finding ernst & young $100 million for cheating on ethics exams. >>> time for a look at your wednesday weather. >> time lapse video shows a so-called super cell storm spinning over the canadian prairie. the storm chase who are shot the video said there were lightning strikes just out of the camera's range. in the u.s. heavy rain is expected in the dakotas and min

the other two are alex drueke and andy huynh. a new image circulating appears to show them in russian custody. >> if the russians were to claim that they had such individuals, i assume we would pursue that if we had reason to believe credible reason to believe that these individuals were in russian custody, we would pursue that as appropriate. >> drueke and huynh haven't been heard from for a week. >>> the third hearing by the january 6th committee laid out gripping details of the aordinan up the pressure on former vice president mike pence to overturn the election, and we learned just how dangerously close the violent mob of trump supporters came to the vice president. abc's faith abubey is live from washington. good morning, faith. >> reporter: good morning to you, mona. the january 6th committee has relied heavily on trump's inner circle and well-respected conservative republicans to make their case that trump unsuccessfully launched a damaging attack on u.s. democracy to illegally try to stay this power. the january th commit

anything you would say to andy and alex? >> i would apologize, because they sort of followed me out here.gize i definitely feel a bit guilty. we should have taken a closer look at more humanitarian options or training options. they wouldn't be in the situation they're in. >> reporter: in the latest russian video, drueke says he's been repeatedly beaten and at one point the two were bound, blindfolded and forced on their, knees. drueke says he thought they would be executed.ced on earlier this month, a court in ukraine's separatist east sentenced a moroccan and two brits to death for fighting alongside ukraine, and today speaking to nbc news, vladimir putin's press secretary said drueke nd huynh would not be afforded the protections of the geneva convention. >> they're soldiers of fortune f involved in illegal activities on the territory of ukraine and they were involved in firing and shelling our military personnel. >> reporter: are american volunteers making a difference in this conflict? >> i would like to think so. people

the mother of alex drueke says she spoke to her son on the phone, and he appeared to be in good condition. >> today more history will be made at the supreme court. two major decisions are being released followed by a big retirement. abc's devin dwyer has a preview. >> reporter: good morning. one of the most consequential and divisive terms in the supreme court comes to an end today. the justices handing down two more major decisions, one on the environment and environmental regulation. how aggressively can the epa regulate greenhouse gases from power plants. the coal industry is suing the administration looking for strict limits on that power. the biden administration says te epa under the clean air act needs the authority to fight climate change. in a second case on immigration, the justices will decide the fate of president trump's remain in mexico policy, that 2019 policy sent most asylum seekers at the border back to mexico to await their claims in u.s. courts. the biden administration has tried to end that policy. texas is suing to say it needs to remain in place. the justices will w

drueke before they were captured. they surfaced on russian media in footage where drueke said he's been repeatedly beaten by his captors. did you ever consider that you might get captured? >> yes. once we were together, we had talked about it, yes. being in the hands of any enemy force, you are going to do what you have to do to stay alive. >> reporter: so you, andy, and alex all came here with your eyes wide open. >> maybe not wide open, but i think we like to think so. >> reporter: they didn't know each other when they came, but sharing a small tent quickly changed that, he says. >> they are the best. i have rarely made friends that quickly, that -- with that strong of a bond. where one went, the other two were close by. it was the three of us. >> reporter: all the more gutting when the two were captured leaving him to notify their loved ones. >> the first two phone calls letting them know that they were missing were without a doubt the hardest phone calls i've ever had to make in my life. listening to joy black, al

. >> reporter: we spoke to the mother of alex drueke. >> it sounds like him. it looks like him. but he did stress that if there was ever a video shown of him to not believe anything that he said, to know that he was being coerced into saying what they wanted put out. >> reporter: cbs news spoke to another american who says heicae fought alongside drueke and andy huynh. he asked not to be identified. >> we knew that by going over there and serving for the government of ukraine, that little-to-no protections would be extended to us, and that the united states government would be powerless to help us. >> reporter: it may be ukraine's war... >> wooo! dude, that was right behind you. >> reporter: but more and more americans are fighting in it. now a third american fighter has gone missing on the front lines. retired marine captain grady kurpasi, a 20-year veteran, reportedly disappeared after taking small arms fire in the kherson region. for those captured, their fate rests in the hands of russia, where lawmakers are already discussing the death penalty. if you could say anything to

. >> reporter: the two others, former army staff sergeant alex drueke and former marine corporal andy huynh, were fighting alongside the ukrainians and are now thought captured by russia. huynh spoke to our huntsville, alabama, affiliate by phone in april before he left. >> i've made peace with the decision. i know there's a potential of me dying. i'm willing to give my life for what i believe is right, for what i've been taught what is right. >> reporter: both men were last heard from a week ago. huynh's fiance telling abc news he felt called to help. >> he couldn't sit idly by. he couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, knowing that the people over there were suffering. >> reporter: and drueke's mother says he wanted to fight for democracy. >> he felt that he was best used by training soldiers and especially on the american equipment that's being sent over there. >> reporter: this as the leaders of france, germany, italy, and romania visited kyiv today. president zelenskyy saying, "russia wants to show that the european union is incapable of being effective and that european values cannot wor

andy nguyen and alex drueke shown on russian media. now a fellow american in ukraine has come forward insisting on hiding his identity with americans ever more a target. anything you would say to andy and alex? >> i would apologize because they sort of followed me out here. i definitely feel a bit guilty. we should have taken a closer look at more humanitarian options for training options. they wouldn't be in the situation they were in. >> reporter: in the latest russian video drueke says he's been repeatedly beaten. at one point the two were bound, blindfolded and forced on their knees. drueke says he thought they would be executed. earlier a court in the separatist east sentenced a moroccan and two britts to death for fighting alongside ukraine. today vladimir putin's press secretary said drueke would not be afforded the protections of the geneva convention. >> they were soldiers of fortune and they were involved in illegal activities in the territory of ukraine. they were involved in firing and shelling our military personnel. >> re

. >> reporter: tonight, the family of american alex drueke, taken by russian backed separatists in ukraine, tell abc news his captors want to make a deal. >> the people who have him are very, very eager to negotiate his release. >> reporter: the u.s. embassy in .'t recog rio as legal are lrne entities, so formal negotiations are unlikely. and tonight a symbol of ukrainian resistance, reclaimed from russia. snake island is the strategic outpost in the black sea, occupied by russia since february 24th. defenders of the island at the time became national heroes for responding to russian calls to surrender with an expletive. well, today, ukraine bombed them off the island. satellite imagery confirming putin's forces have retreated. these images provided by the ukrainian ministry of defense shows artillery striking the island june 21st. it may be that the threat of new long range missile systems like the u.s. that are arriving in this country may have been part of russia's calculations to leave snake island. whit? >> james, thank you. >>> new developments in the worst migrant smuggling case in

. >> reporter: tonight, russian state tv releasing new video of alex drueke and andy huynh, the two u.s. veterans fighting for ukraine, but caught by russian proxies drueke's family told abc news he has now spoken with the state department twice in recent days. >> they said that he sounded good, that he sounded relatively strong. >> reporter: the officials felt he was being treated humanely and that the russian-backed separatists holding him were looking to begin negotiations. meanwhile, the ukrainian ministry of defense has released this video -- the largest prisoner swap since the war began. 144 russian troops were exchanged for 144 ukrainians, many of them badly injured. all this as russia steps up its rocket attacks in the country. video posted on social media shows a huge missile hitting this apartment building in mykolaiv, killing six people. drueke's family says the state department told them the u.s. won't negotiate with his captors. and that's because the breakaway region they control isn't recognized by anyone as a legal entity other than russia. david? >> all right, james lon

andy nguyen and alex drueke left their homes in alabama to serve in ukraine's army and dace peered in a firefight. the news comes as france, u.s. and germany travel to meet with president volodymyr zelenskyy and testing new weapons that may show up some day on the battle field. >> reporter: the future of war is unmanned partially. the u.s. army is testing this reconvehicle. >> we can get better understanding of the ground before committing soldiers to the fight. >> reporter: the war in ukraine shows the need for these kind of weapons with both sides suffering heavy losses since russia invaded. while the u.s. troops aren't in that fight they're getting ready in case russia goes after a nato ally and in war believe the robots could save lives. >> instead of sacrificing six of my men out there i can send this up front, do the probing, get the positive identification of other tanks. >> reporter: ukraine also exposed the importance of logistics, getting supplies safely to the front lines. robotic trucks could keep them well armed reducing risk to drivers, think of the technology like follo

>> reporter: peter, yes, so their names are alex drueke and andy hyuhn, and previously residing in alabama and their families say they have not heard from them since last week, molly hunter has spoken to both of their families and they are understandably terrified. the state department says they are aware that these two men are captured by russian forces but they say they are unconfirmed reports. the state department says they are in touch with ukrainian authorities, the international red cross as well as the men's families but they say they have not reached out or had any conversations with the russian federation, in part because they say they have not seen anything from russian forces to indicate that they have these men in captivity. at the same time, the spokesperson for the state department has acknowledged that they are also aware of a third american citizen who reportedly came to ukraine to fight and has been missing in recent weeks. president biden was talking about the other two men that we know about, and we know their names, because their families have spoken to us, he said that

russian state tv broadcast short videos of the men from alabama, alex drueke. he and andy when volunteered for a ukrainian task force which says they were captured by a russian backed group last week. the white house says if their capture is confirmed, it will do everything possible to get them home safely. united states state to the u.s. state department does not want americans to travel to ukraine to fight. >> well, we're celebrating pride here. bron formed last weekend. the aids quilt was on display in golden gate park spreacss an billiams ere meadow sharing the stories of those who have died from the virus from for us. rob nesbitt takes a closer look at the largest community. our project imesve sig to se th ai quiprled ssthe gr ss of degapark. the first time it's been on full display since 1996 when t me uitthe idea for the candghmch in memy of or haey an mamo it was noembe1985and he death toll in san francisco h10. ionlyusso manypeople shared my need to express our grief and our anger. ooutrage at the lack of government response. what started as an idto dy

this morning the family of alex drueke, one of the u.s. veterans captured in ukraine speaking to abc news. they say alex has spoken with the state department over the phone while being held by russian proxies twice in recent days. >> they said that he sounded good, that he sounded relatively strong, that he clearly was being prompted to make certain statements and as they questioned him that he is being treated humanely. >> alex was able to pass along a message through the state department to his mother. he said that he loved me and to keep taking good care of his dog and that -- and that he knew i was doing everything i could to get them back home safely. >> this as new video shared by president zelenskyy shows the moment russian missiles hit. panic in a park nearby caught on video as debris rains down. one man jumped into the water for safety. at least 20 people were killed in the attack and nearly 60 injured. 40 others are still missing. we go inside the hospital where some of the injured are being treated. meet nicolai who worked insid

drueke traveled to ukraine to combat putin's forces. barbara starr joins us now. what are pentagon officials saying? >> reporter: in the last several minutes, a photo has emerged, and we want to show it to people. it appears to show both men in the back of a truck, in this photo i think you can see at the very bottom, there are food cans with russian labels. you see them there. they appear to have their hands behind their back. now, the state department has informed, we are told the drueke family this may be evidence that the men are being held by either russian or russian-backed forces in eastern ukraine. they have been there fighting alongside ukraine forces for some time is our understanding they were last seen on june 9th during a very bitter battle, very heavy combat north of kharkiv in eastern ukraine. other people went to look for them. they found no remains, no bodies. so there is somewhat of an assumption that they may be being held now. and that is the -- that is the challenge, to find out exactly what has happened to these tw

alex drueke a former u.s. army staff sergeant and a former marine were both serving the city of karkiv and according to andy's fianci they went missing last thursday. the state department is saying there is no indication that russia is holding these americans. >>> and two newly elected bay area sheriffs are making history in california. san mateo sheriff elect christina corpus and alameda county sheriff elect yesenia sanchez, both first latinas to be elected sheriff in state history. both say they are excited to take office and make positive changes in their communities. >> i'm really happy. excited that i can actually make some changes in an organization that i grew up in and that i love. >> latinas have been deeply underrepresented at every level of elected office and latina leadership, however, is transformational. went elect did latinas are powerful changemakers. >> and monterey county, tina nieto is also a latina and is leading the race for sheriff as those votes are still being counted. >>> a live look a

alex drueke said that he had been captured, as indeed did andrew huynh on their first day in combat. they said that they were both fighting for something called task force baguette, which was, they said, part of the ukrainian armed forces. but a mixture of ukrainian and foreign fighters. i have spoken myself to another american, who is with them on the ground during that battle in a village about 25 kilometers outside to the northeast of kharki kharkiv, where i am now, anderson. he said that they fired a shot from an rpg, a rocket-propelled grenade, advancing russian armored personnel carrier. they said in their interview that they had missed it, and then they went missing, as the group withdrew. clearly now they've been captured. so, the good news from the families' perspective is that they are alive. the bad news is that the last people to be accused of being soldiers of fortune or mercenaries in this break away republic were two britons and a moroccan who were captured in the southeast of the country around mariupol. they have all been sentenced to death in a judicial process, if

veterans andy huynh and alex drueke appearing in captivity. nbc news is not showing the video. according to their families, they went missing more than a week ago near the eastern city of kharkiv where they were voluntarily fighting alongside ukrainian troops. after the video surfaced, joy black said in a statement, they're americans, we want them home, nothing else matters right now. the state department has not commented on the video or confirmed the names of the three americans. according to his family, the third american also a u.s. vet is grady kerpaz, in regular touch until the end of april. >> everything seemed to be good. he was in good spirits. he was super happy. he felt like he was doing the right thing. >> reporter: kerpaz's family believes he's still alive. >> we want to have an answer for the family. that's our mission is find out where grady is. we do believe that there's a good possibility he's a p.o.w. right now. >> reporter: detaining prisoners of war is legal. they can be held until the end of the conflict, but they must be treated in line with international

>> yes, specifically about the three americans that we have been talking about, alex drueke, andy hnuyn, who went missing ten days ago and grady who hasn't been heard from by his family since april, all u.s. vets who came over here to fight alongside ukrainian troops. we saw a propaganda video which we will not show the audience on friday, with andy and alex, and we have been talking to a human rights adviser about what constitutes a p.o.w., and what are the next steps and what should really happen and she said all three men should be considered p.o.w.s, they were in uniform, they were fighting, they were openly fighting for one side, openly distinguishing themselves from civilians. we did ask her though about what should happen next. the number one thing that needs to happen is they need to be granted access. the international red cross needs to be granted access to these p.o.w.s. that is on the detaining party. that is russia's responsibility. we also asked her what her biggest concern right now. is take a listen. >> >> the concern is if they're not treated as prisoners of war, that t

their names are alex drueke, 39-year-old alabama native. i a former u.s. army staff sergeant who served two tours in iraq, according to his mother, who we spoke with. my producer spoke with her overnight. the other president we are looking at who "the new york times" reports is andy huynh, a 27-year-old former marine. they were both volunteers, as you mentioned. they were both fighting in eastern ukraine near kharkiv is what we know. we don't know what unit or what exactly what happened to them. i do want to share with you what lois told us. she heard from her son, alex, by text message on april 18th and she got a message from a friend saying alex had gone missing. take a listen to lois. >> he wrote and said, i'll be going dark tomorrow and possibly the next day. and i wrote back, stay safe, and i love you. and he wrote back -- i'm sorry. he wrote back, i love you, too. >> reporter: a heartbreaking to hear from her, jose. she doesn't have any more answers. the state department says they are monitoring it very closely. they have seen the unconfirmed reports

we are talking about alex drueke and win. they were captured two weeks ago. they are both americans. they both came here to volunteer along ukraine forces. there was u.s. ay bets. the cost to our richard asking president zelenskyy about them. >> they are heroes. for me, they seem like ukrainians. they give. they give and demand things. what they have good lives. they have lives. i'm sure we will fight for them and we will get them back. >> now, andy and alex are two of hundreds and estimated hundreds of hundreds of americans who have come to volunteer alongside the ukrainian troops. zelenskyy went on to tell richard angle that it is an honor for him to see soldiers and people who are not afraid to come to support our sovereignty and our independence. yesterday, katie, i was in kharkiv. the easternmost city. the second largest city in this country. and ian alex went missing and were captured just outside of that city. it is very close to the russian border. we actually met another american, a guy who goes up by grinch. he is serving in the foreign legion. he i

alex drueke. he and andy when volunteered for a ukrainian task force which was captured by russian-backed group last week. now the state department warned americans should not be going to ukraine to fight. and we are celebrating here on kron 4 last weekend, the aids quilt was on display in golden gate park around 3,000 panels were spread across robin williams meadow sharing the stories of those who died from the virus. kron four's rob nesbitt takes a closer look at the largest community art project in history. >> eric and joant'san impressive sight to see the aids quilt sprawled across the grasogolden gate park. the first time it's been on full display since 1996 when it cover the national mall in washington, d.c., cleve jones came up with the idea for the quilt 35 years ago during a candlelight march in memory of supervisor harvey milk and mayor george sc eit was nombanthds death toll in san francisco hit 1000. it only because so many people shared my need to express our grief and our anger. >> o

the families of 39-year-old alabama native alex drueke, a former u.s. army staff sergeant and 27-year-old andy huynh, a former marine say both men went missing last thursday. the state department now confirming their names now saying unconfirmed reports that three americans are now missing in action. citing his wife, the "washington post" reports, the third american is former marine corps officer grady kurpasi, huynh's fiance thought there was something wrong last weekend. >> at what point did something feel off? >> i got an inkling in my head on friday. >> he told me during the operation they got separated and that andy and alex did not make their meeting point. >> what did you do then? >> kind of fell and cried a lot. >> and while some americans d c two days >> reporter: while americans fighting in the city of kharkiv are part of the foreign legion, others like zach harrison who moved to kyiv a few years ago, said he joined the ukrainian military directly. >> there is a force of evil attacking my home and i don't know what their actual status was, i'm

this morning, two american veterans, alex drueke and andy huynh. >> they were taking part in battlefield activities they will get punished they should be punished. they have committed crimes. >> what crimes >> we don't know yet >> but you know very well this has the potential to escalate tensions with the u.s. >> they are treated properly but you have to understand those guys on the battlefield were firing at euro military guys they were endangering their lives. >> two fighters sentenced to >> two fighters sentenced to deat can you guarantee these americans will not face the same fate >> no i cannot guarantee anything it depends on the investigation. >> there is a third american missing. do you have any news of that >> no. i don't have any information about that. >> reporter: and we asked prospect's spokesman about other americans jailed in russia paul whelan sentenced to 16 years for spying, allegations he dies and wnba star brittney griner arrested at the airport in february accused of carrying a vapor pen with hashish oil. >> is brittney griner a hostage? is paul whelan a hostage are

. >> reporter: the two americans, 39-year-old alex drueke and 27-year-old andy huynh volunteered to fight alongside the ukrainians and went missing outside of kharkiv days ago. their families now desperate for answers. >> we get stressful because we don't have answers at the moment. waiting is always very hard. but we are encouraged. >> reporter: now the u.s. is looking into reports that a third american who volunteered to fight for ukraine may have also been captured. >> similarly our understanding was that this individual had traveled to ukraine to take up arms. >> reporter: this comes as leaders from france, germany, italy, and romania all arrived in ukraine in a show of solidarity. they met with president zelenskyy. in a joint press conference, zelenskyy said it would take an international effort to stop putin's war. only connectively and united will it be a powerful force to stop them. >> reporter: in that spirit of unity the european union's executive arm has said they'll put forward ukraine as a candidate for membership of the european union. >> thank you, as always. amy. >>> now t

and overnight the families of alex drueke and andy huynh, the two americans captured by russian forces in ukraine, speaking out after these images were released to the world. >> i chose to take it as an encouraging sign and to stay positive. >> reporter: both are now being held by russian proxies, but their exact location is unknown. in the video both give pro-russia statements presumably forced to do so. for andy's fiancee, just seeing images of him giving her hope. >> it's hard to describe the feeling exactly. i was just really glad to see him, i guess, and hear him. that was encouraging to at least get to see more recent like video of him. >> reporter: alex's mother says she spoke to her son for the first time since his capture. he called her late tuesday night. >> it was obvious that there were two things going on. one, i could tell when he was telling me something that was scripted and then the other things that he was saying was just a regular conversation, just this ordinary conversation that mothers really treasure. >> reporter: this, as ukraine and russia agree to the largest

russian television broadcasted two americans fighting in ukraine, alex drueke and andy huynh. where are they, and what happens next? >> they were involved in illegal activities on the territory of ukraine. they were involved in firing and shelling our military personnel. they were endangering their life. they should be held responsible for those crimes that they have committed. >> reporter: in an exclusive interview, i asked kremlin spokesman demetri peskov about the nationals and rebels in ukraine, now sentenced to death. can you guarantee these americans will not face the sme fate. >> i cannot agree to anything. it depends on the investigation. >> reporter: we asked about wnba star brittney griner, detained at the airport in february, accused of carrying hashish oil. she was taking sport in russia, trying to build bridges through sport. it is a terrible message, isn't it, that she should be arrested? >> it is also a terrible message to bring some forbidden essences and materials to this country, and it is prosecuted by russian laws. >> reporter: the special envoy for hostile

the family says winn did humanitarian work with church groups, while drueke trained ukrainians to fight. but both eventually wound up on the front lines. >> i'm really hoping we can get some answers and find out where andy and alex are and get them home. that's all i want is andy back. >> reporter: both men, from alabama, were fighting with a unit of foreign volunteers when something went wrong. his fellow soldiers called drueke's mother, bunny, to tell her the news. >> all but who had made it back and alex and andy were the two on who had not reported in yet. >> reporter: the kremlin has not confirmed their capture, but russian state media wasted no time discussing their punishment. based on the precedent, there will be a death sentence. "yes, there are no other options." an unthinkable fate for alex's mom. >> i'm not worried about him being in the russian hands-- not because of russia but because i know alex's character. he is brave. he is tough. he is well trained. there's part of him that's going, "yes, i can do this!" >> reporter: now the timing and circumstances are ominous for th

his fellow soldiers called drueke's mom, bunny, to tell her the news. >> all but two people had made it back, and alex and andy were the two who had not reported in yet. >> reporter: the kremlin has not confirmed their capture, but russian state media wasted no time discussing their punishment. "based on the precedent, there will be a death sentence," the presenter asks this law-maker. "yes, there are no other options." an unthinkable fate for alex's mom. >> i'm not worried about him being in the russian hands-- not because of russia, but because i know alex's character. he is brave. he is tough. he is well-trained. there's part of him that's going, "yes, i can do this!" >> reporter: now, the timing and circumstances are ominous for the americans who went missing here in the kharkiv region. just last week, a russian-backed separatist court sentenced a moroccan and two british p.o.w.s to death for fighting alongsidei ukrainians. norah. >> o'donnell: chris livesay with that new information, thank you. tonight, yellowstone national park, one of america's treasures, is in shambles follow