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The logo of the Kremlin-affiliated TV station RT
Photo: Maxim Shemetov / REUTERS
Russian media have portrayed two former US soldiers who were serving in the Ukrainian army and were captured by troops loyal to Moscow.
In an interview with the Kremlin-affiliated newspaper Izvestia, one of the men justified himself by believing the Western "propaganda" about the "bad Russians" and that's why he went to war.
"The Western media doesn't tell us how incompetent and corrupt the Ukrainian army is," he said.
The second prisoner was presented to the Russian state broadcaster RT.
He sent only a greeting to his mother and spoke of the hope of being allowed to return home.
"Mom, I just wanted to let you know that I'm alive and I hope to be home as soon as possible," he says.
Additional videos released by RT show the two men saying in broken Russian, "I am against the war."
Three prisoners were sentenced to death
According to the Russian media, both soldiers are from the US state of Alabama and are said to have been captured near the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine.
The two men are said to have fought as volunteers alongside the Ukrainian army.
In the video released by RT, one of the two said they found themselves in retreat before finally surrendering to Russian troops after hours of marching.
It is not yet clear who is holding the two men.
But that could still be important for her future fate.
Troops of the pro-Russian separatists from the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk are also fighting on Russia's side.
They have already sentenced three foreigners from the ranks of the Ukrainian army – two Britons and one Moroccan – to death in a show trial.
In Russia, on the other hand, the death penalty is suspended.
There was also no information about the circumstances under which the two Americans were filmed.
Biden warns US citizens against traveling to Ukraine
A spokesman for the US State Department said on Saturday that US authorities had seen photos and videos of the two US citizens "who were reportedly captured by Russian forces in Ukraine".
The US government is closely monitoring the situation and is thinking of the men's families.
US President Joe Biden appealed to US citizens on Friday not to travel to Ukraine.
“Americans shouldn't go to Ukraine now.
I'll say it again: Americans shouldn't go to Ukraine.” Earlier, the White House announced that a third US citizen was missing in Ukraine.
mak/dpa/AFP