A pair of American veterans, taken prisoner whereas combating for Ukraine, mentioned Russian captors relentlessly tortured them to the purpose the place they “prayed for loss of life,” based on a broadcast interview aired Thursday.
Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh and Alexander John-Robert Drueke had been launched final month after spending three months in brutal Russian custody, they informed ABC’s “Good Morning America” of their first TV interview since being launched.
Even after their launch had been secured by way of again channel Saudi Arabian negotiators, their most harrowing moments got here on the finish of captivity, the previous prisoners mentioned.
Captors tied them up, blindfolded with packing tape, secured baggage over their heads and stacked them in again of a truck, the previous prisoners mentioned.
“We prayed for loss of life” at that second, Huynh mentioned. “We simply needed to die. We simply needed it to finish.”
The actual fact they had been about to go free did not reduce their despair in these closing hours of captivity.
“Even whether it is an trade (of prisoners), I do not care. This simply has to cease,” Drueke mentioned.
Huynh added: “We needed to die. The method to getting free was a really excessive value.”
The pair did not completely perceive their ordeal was carried out till they met with American officers.
“I did not totally imagine that I used to be getting launched till a U.S. embassy consultant mentioned, ‘That is actual brother. You might be being exchanged. That is actual, you’re protected,’ ” Huynh mentioned.
Each males mentioned that they had no regrets combating alongside Ukrainians as they fend off Russian invaders.
“I believe I might return (to Ukraine) in a barely totally different capability,” Drueke mentioned. “I’d return for rebuilding after the warfare.”
