(NewsNation) — In a call with his mother Lois “Bunny” Drueke, Alexander Drueke affirmed he is being held in the same prison cell with two other Americans in Ukraine.
Lois spoke with “NewsNation Prime” on Friday and said she’s confident that her son and former Marine Andy Huynh are “top priority” for the U.S. State Department.
“They are working diligently with every avenue that they can have; they feel like their negotiations are going well,” Lois said. “They were sounded very happy about the way things are going. And we’re hoping to soon be able to talk to the Ukrainian ambassador about the situation.”
Drueke and Huynh were captured in June by Russian forces and transported to a detention center in the Donetsk region. Their location had been in question for several weeks due to recent bombings in the area.
Lois said that in a recent phone call with her son, Alexander told his mom that he was moved to a more “traditional prison” with better conditions.
They also have better food and can go outside for one hour every day, according to Lois.
“Best of all, they’re no longer in solitary confinement. He and Andy, and a third American, are in a cell together. And that’s really lifted their spirits,” Lois said.
Drueke told his mom that the third American was born in Rwanda but is an American citizen. She believes he may have gone out to get gasoline for his family but was arrested on his way back home.
“I really feel like we’re getting closer. They’re going to have to come to some agreement and let them go as soon as possible. And I just I feel very hopeful about it,” Lois said.