A Texan father who moved his family to Russia to escape “woke” America has been sent to the front line

Derek Huffman, 46, relocated to the small town of Istra, around 25 miles from Moscow, with his wife, their three daughters and their husky earlier this year

They did this through Russia’s “shared values” visa scheme, aimed at attracting foreigners who reject what Vladimir Putin calls “destructive neoliberal ideology”

Mr Huffman had initially agreed to join the Russian military in a non-combat capacity, thinking at first he would be a welder and later a war correspondent

But despite having no experience as a soldier and limited understanding of the Russian language, he has been sent “near” the front[…]
DeAnna Huffman said her husband felt he was being “thrown to the wolves” given that he had only received a limited amount of training, and that it was in Russian[…]
Their move to Russia was prompted by their dissatisfaction with what they saw as progressive overreach in the American education system

After relocating from Arizona to Texas, they were disturbed when their daughter Sophia was expected to speak about lesbian topics at school

“The final straw was when we found out my daughter Sophia learnt about lesbians from a girl in her class. She didn’t fully understand it, but for us, that was enough to realise something had to change,” Mr Huffman told Russia Today[…]
A trip to Moscow in May 2023 convinced the family that Russia offered the traditional values they desired[…]
“We found a place that respected our values – where we finally felt at home,” Mr Huffman continued[…]
Mr Huffman said he wanted to earn his place in Russian society not via handouts but through service

“The point of this act for me is to earn a place here in Russia,” he said. “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 handouts”