Moscow has received Washington’s request regarding the American mercenaries, captured while fighting in Ukraine, and is discussing it now, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday.

“We have received the request,” Ryabkov said, declining to elaborate. “We do not disclose the content of diplomatic requests and do not comment on them,” he explained. “Anyway, we have received a signal from Washington and are discussing it now,” the diplomat continued.

Further comments on the situation would be “completely out of place” at the moment, Ryabkov said.

Two Americans, Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, who were captured in Ukraine are mercenaries and are not eligible for protection under the Geneva Conventions, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier on Wednesday. Their cases should be investigated, Peskov said, adding they might even face capital punishment in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

Source: Agencies