Derek Huffman has been granted a Russian passport after taking part in the Ukraine military operation

A US national who fought alongside Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict has thanked President Vladimir Putin after being granted Russian citizenship.

Derek Huffman told TASS that he applied for citizenship just before joining the Russian Army and learned that his application had been approved while he was on vacation. His family will also be applying for citizenship.

"I want to thank President Putin, the country of Russia, the Russian people who have been so supportive of me and my family and welcomed us with open arms, and just want to say thank you," he told the outlet.

Huffman, along with his wife and their three daughters, moved to Russia from the US in March 2025. In an interview with RT in May, he said the family decided to leave the US to raise their children away from what he called the pervasive LGBTQ propaganda.

He explained that the idea of moving to Russia came to him after visiting Moscow in 2023. "The city turned out to be cleaner, safer, and more orderly than we could have imagined," he said, adding: "the most important thing is that we found a place where our values were respected and where we felt at home."

Shortly after moving to Moscow, Huffman signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry, saying he wanted to make a "contribution and earn our place here by enlisting in the Russian army." He said his goal is to fully assimilate into Russian life, obtain citizenship, and build a future for his family in the country.

Huffman and his family are among a growing number of Western people who have moved to Russia in recent years. In August 2024, Putin signed a decree allowing foreigners who share Russia's "traditional values" and disagree with the "neoliberal" principles imposed by their governments to apply for residence under a simplified procedure. Since the decree came into force in September 2024, the authorities have received over 1,150 applications