A Texas father who uprooted his family to Russia in hopes of avoiding what he described as “LGBTQ indoctrination” has now reportedly been sent to the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine — a twist his family says they never saw coming.
As reported by The Daily Beast, Derek Hauffman relocated with his wife and children, seeking what he believed would be a better life far from what he considered Western “propaganda.” Eager to secure fast-tracked citizenship for his family, he enlisted in the Russian military — but instead of the promised job as a welder, he was allegedly dispatched into active combat with minimal training.
Wife Says He’s Untrained, Underpaid, and Now Facing War
In a now-deleted YouTube video, Hauffman’s wife, DeAnna, spoke emotionally about their unexpected ordeal, asking for prayers and revealing that her husband had been thrust into the chaos of war.
“So, unfortunately, he feels like he’s being thrown to the wolves right now, and he’s kind of having to lean on faith, and that’s what we’re all doing,” she said.
DeAnna emphasized that Derek had no prior military background, and his training — conducted entirely in Russian — left him confused and unprepared. Instead of taking on the technical role he was told he’d perform, he was allegedly deployed directly to combat, and the family says they’ve received no pay beyond the first month of his enlistment.
He Said He Wanted “Respect” in Russia — Now He’s at War
Before his deployment, Derek participated in an interview with RIA, a Russian state media outlet, explaining his motivation for leaving the United States and joining Russia’s military ranks:
“If I risk myself for our new country, no one will say that I am not a part of it. Unlike migrants in America who come there just like that, do not assimilate, and at the same time want free handout,” he said.
But what began as a bid for inclusion and respect has seemingly taken a darker turn. His wife now says they were misled — used to promote a narrative of Western families embracing Russian ideals, only to be discarded when the cameras stopped rolling.
Faith Over Facts: Family Leans on Prayer as Uncertainty Mounts
DeAnna maintains that the family is relying on faith to get through the ordeal, but their sense of betrayal is unmistakable. “We haven’t been paid, he’s on the front lines, and we don’t know what will happen next,” she reportedly said in the since-deleted video.
To date, Russian officials have not commented on Derek’s status, and the family’s future — both in terms of promised citizenship and personal safety — remains uncertain.
