Texas Man Moved His Family to Russia and Was Allegedly Sent to Fight in the Ukraine War

With Russia neck-deep in a war in Ukraine, it's unimaginable to many to consider moving your family into the middle of all that. But that's exactly what one Texas man did when he picked his family up and moved them to the heart of Russia to start a new life.

However, Derek Huffman didn't feel that moving to Russia was enough.

According to he and his wife DeAnna Huffman on their YouTube channel, Huffman Time, Derek enlisted in the Russian army and soon found himself sent off to war.

Rumors have suggested that he was sent to the front line to fight in Ukraine. Here's what we know about Derek's surprise move and whether or not he was put on the front lines of the war.

There is a lot of rumor and misinformation surrounding what happened to Derek and where he is. It all started with Derek announcing in May 2025 that he was joining the Russian army in a video on their YouTube channel.

DeAnna explained that he had signed a contract with the Russian army.

Rumors suggested that he was quickly sent to the front lines to fight in Ukraine. However, Snopes reports that it seems unclear whether Derek is anywhere near the front line. The outlet writes that they spoke with someone who says Derek was assigned to a "repair battalion," due to his experience with welding. Snopes add that they were told Derek "was never involved in front line combat from what I understand and he is certainly not doing so now."

It's unclear where exactly the father of three has ended up during his time with the army, but given the current climate, it's likely that he's involved with the Ukraine war. In the May video, Derek explained that his reason for signing up was for "earning our citizenship." He explained, "if I go put my body on the line for Russia, I defend the country, our new country, I've earned our place here and nobody can tell me different or tell my family different that we don't belong here."

While that may explain why he joined the military, it doesn't exactly explain why he would move his family to Russia, of all places.

Luckily, Derek explained that, too, in a video he uploaded to YouTube in March 2025.

In the caption of that video and throughout the video itself, Derek explained, "We were motivated by our concerns over LGBT indoctrination in the American schools, unhealthy food, and a desire for a safer environment that is aligned with our Christian values."

The caption continues, "After homeschooling our children for two years, we researched options and discovered an American village project in Russia for English-speaking Christians."

The caption adds, "Following a successful visit to Moscow, we sold our land in Texas and began the immigration process, which included obtaining visas and preparing for life in Russia."

According to Derek and DeAnna, adjusting to life in a country with a different language has been a challenge, and DeAnna has shared her fears that her husband will end up on the front lines of the Ukraine war (via X / @Geraschenko_en).

But for now, it's not clear whether that has happened or not. Making it a nerve-wracking time when the family thought they'd be enjoying their newfound nationality with zero cares.