Soft Power, Hard Ops: Russia’s Information Warfare Lures Americans Abroad
(Left) Image of Derek Huffman who left America to escape “wokeism.” (Right) Image of Francine Villa who escaped America because of “racism”
Derek Huffman and Francine Villa are two unique cases of Americans leaving the United States and moving to Russia for political purposes. Francine Villa claimed she left America due to social issues of racism, and Derek Huffman left because America was continuing to push “wokeism” and had to evacuate his family to protect his children. At first glance, these two cases are completely different, and both Derek Huffman and Francine Villa sound like they are on opposite sides of the political aisle. However, both cases share one thing in common
Both fell victim to Russian propaganda to leave the United States and come to Russia.
Why is the Kremlin able to influence Americans to come abroad, and how are they able to deceive Americans on opposite ends of the political aisle? This article attempts to answer these two questions and provide an in-depth analysis of how information warfare works on Americans.
Video Credits to New York Post
“The point of this act for me is to earn a place here in Russia. 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.”
Derek Huffman initially lived in Texas with his family. According to his own video “Russia? Why?” he spoke for sixteen minutes about the decision to move to Russia along with his family. In the video, he initially spoke about the LGBT indoctrination and the trans movement influencing children. Huffman claimed it was impossible to turn on the television without seeing a trans mentally ill people on it. In addition, he also spoke about DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and how because his family was white there would be no opportunities afforded to his daughters. Shortly after he switched his rant from LGBT and DEI to talk about how American food is toxic.
The sixteen-minute video was full of complaints about how America was going “woke” and declining, while in comparison, Russia was a better option to escape. However, Huffman began to explain how he moved from Texas to Russia. While conducting his own research, he came across information about a Western village in Russia that acted as a safe haven for families escaping “woke” America. Huffman was able to obtain a “Shared Values” visa.
This visa, according to the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Houston, is given to individuals that share Russian spirtual and morale values. The Russian Federation created a list of destructive ideologies, and it includes the following:
17. The dissemination of destructive ideology entails the following risks:
a) emergence of conditions for the self-destruction of society and the erosion of family, friendship and other social ties;
b) accelerated socio-cultural stratification, decline of the role of social partnership, and devaluation of the ideas of productive labour and mutual assistance;
c) damage to the moral health of the people, imposition of concepts that disregard human dignity and the value of human life;
d) promotion of antisocial behaviour, dissolute lifestyles, permissiveness and violence, growing alcoholism and drug addiction;
e) emergence of a society that rejects spiritual and moral values;
f) distortion of historical truth and erosion of historical memory;
g) rejection of Russian authenticity, weakening of the national civic identity and cohesion of the multi-ethnic Russian people, development of conditions for interethnic and interfaith conflicts;
h) erosion of confidence in government institutions, discreditation of the idea of service to the Fatherland, and development of a negative attitude to military service and government service in general.
18. To preserve and strengthen traditional values and prevent the spread of destructive ideology, reforms in the spheres of education, culture, science, mass media and communications should be implemented with due regard for the historical traditions and experience accumulated in Russian society, with obligatory broad public discussions.
While Derek Huffman and his family obtained these visas under the rationale that Russia embraced more traditional values, Francine Villa’s story from moving to Russia is a complete contrast.
“I feel free living in Russia, because in Russia, no matter what time it is, I can walk outside and I’m safe.”
Francine Villa was part of a documentary titled “Black in the USSR,” where she said she suffered racism and discrimination in the United States and decided to move to Russia. She moved in 2019 and cited that it was due to systematic racism within the United States that caused her to leave.
The documentary, made by Russian Times, was released shortly after the George Floyd arrest. Villa claimed that she asked for help from US police but was treated as the victim. In her own words that “3 Caucasian officers” pinned her down. When Villa lived in Moscow, she said that Russian police officers gave her a bouquet of flowers and claimed that she was welcome to Russia and that she belonged there.
Timing the release of the documentary, was pure strategic, to attract the attention of progressives in America, more specifically Black Americans that were enraged at the time of George Floyd’s arrest. By showing a dichotomy between Russia and America’s treatment of their black citizens, it argues that Russia is a safe haven as opposed to America.
Unfortunately for both Villa and Huffman, who fell prey to Russian propaganda, reality became a bitter pill to swallow.
On May 25, 2025 the Huffman Family posted a video explaining that Derek Huffman joined the Russian military in their fight against Ukraine. The blog started off with Huffman’s wife filming a vlog explaining that ever since moving to Russia, their family is the center of attention for multiple Russian news outlets. The video then cuts to Huffman filming a Russian World War II memorial, claiming that it was the “Great Patriotic War (World War 2).” Huffman explained that joining the Russian army would significantly expedite Russian citizenship, and so his family would get benefits. It was revealed that the initial visa wasn’t enough to secure citizenship. According to the vlog, Huffman would have to wait 5 to 6 years to obtain temporary citizenship, followed by significantly more periods of waiting. By signing a contract to join Russia, it would only be 1 year. Huffman continued to spout talking points that Ukraine is led by a Nazi regime and that Russia is justified. The video ends with his wife explaining they do not have enough money for a car and is currently asking for further donations.
As of October 14, 2025 there is no current update as to Huffmans’ location or status. While there were fake news reports of Huffman dying to Ukrainian drones, the family vlog did not report anything significant yet.
Image of Francie Villa \ Photo by Moscow Times
Francine Villa posted a video of herself in the hospital, beaten and with a swollen lip. She got into a violent altercation with her neighbors that ended with physical violence and racial epithets thrown around. When the Russian police arrived, they did absolutely nothing, according to Villa. As of 10/14/2025 there is no further update about her current situation. However, this situation is a complete opposite of what she claimed in the initial documentary. Instead of greeted with open arms and treated to a country that supposedly welcomed everyone, Villa faced a harsh wave of criticism online and blatant racism in Russia.
Analysis
In Russian Information Warfare, written by Media Ajir and Bethan Vailliant, they conducted an in-depth analysis of the Russian structure of information warfare. What is most notable within this article is that it has Russia’s definition of Information Warfare.
“Information warfare, according to the original Russian government
document Conceptual Views Regarding the Activities of the Armed Forces of
the Russian Federation in the Information Space, is defined as confronting
a state in the information space by damaging information systems, pro-
cesses, and resources”
Russia has developed advanced capabilities in undermining Western democratic societies. For the purposes of the case studies above, both Huffman and Villa fell victim to an advanced network of social media influences and possibly Russian troll bots. Both Huffman and Villa described heated political topics that was relevant at present. Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ rights. What is interesting to note is that both victims developed the same conclusion but from different sources. Both digested a simplified statement: “America is bad to me and I have no hope, I must move to Russia.”
Above is an image pulled from the article which is quoted from Kevin McCauley, Russian Influence Campaigns Against the West.
What is the political objective for Russia to convince Americans to leave and join? One viable conclusion drawn is that Russia is in dire need of recruits for its Ukraine war. Russia is about to enter it’s forth year of military operations with almost no significant gains meet, and Ukranian soldiers are inflicting significant casualties. The problem has escalated to the point North Korean soldiers are now involved in the fight. Another conclusion is to demoralize and confuse Americans about the state of the country. While no country is immune to issues, both Huffman and Villa felt that Russia was the only solution to escape the political climate at the time.
“The victim country does not even suspect that it is being
subjected to information-psychological influence. This leads in turn to
a paradox: the aggressor achieves his military and political aims with the
active support of the population of the country that is being subjected to
influence”
Derek Huffman and Francine Villa are victims of Russia’s information war against the United States. Their stories are not curiosities, but actual proof that Russian tactics can achieve success. This doctrine is no longer theoretical but operational. Huffman trading a life in America for the front lines against Ukrainian soldiers and Villa fleeing racism in America to receive it in Russia. Both are end results of Moscow’s perfected ability to manipulate Americans.
