A former U.S. Marine volunteering in Ukraine was killed late last week while evacuating civilians in the war-torn eastern European country, according to reports.
Cooper “Harris” Andrews, 26, of Cleveland, Ohio, was killed by a mortar on or around April 19 on the “Road of Life,” an access road on the outskirts of Bakhmuta in eastern Ukraine, CNN reported.
Willow Andrews, his mother, told the outlet that authorities have yet to recover her son’s body. Cooper worked for an activist group known as the Resistance Committee and joined the Foreign Legion in Ukraine, a group of foreign fighters helping the Ukrainian military, in November last year.
I’m very sad to say this, but one of the @PopularFront_ community has been killed fighting in Ukraine. Cooper ‘Harris’ Andrews, 26, was a long time PF supporter and part of our Discord. He was a former US Marine and lifelong leftist organiser. He was killed in Bakhmut. pic.twitter.com/ZdNIzRlXdw
— Jake Hanrahan (@Jake_Hanrahan) April 30, 2023
State Department officials confirmed to The Daily Wire the death of a U.S. citizen in Ukraine on Monday without naming the individual.
“We are in touch with the family and providing all possible consular assistance,” a U.S. State Dept. spokesperson told The Daily Wire in an email. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add.”
At least nine U.S. citizens volunteering to fight in Ukraine — including a former Navy Seal and Army infantryman — have died since the war began last year, according to ABC.
Last month, State Department officials told The Daily Beast that the federal agency supports legal representatives and families when U.S. citizens die overseas. Such ways include providing information on the disposition of remains and estates and issuing a consular death report.
“The U.S. government takes its role in such a situation very seriously, providing all appropriate assistance through the legal representative, next of kin, or their designee,” the spokesperson told the outlet.
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The Biden administration has reportedly warned Americans against joining foreign fighters in the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, according to The Associated Press, an unknown number of U.S. citizens have left American soil to support Kyiv, including former military members and others who volunteer with aid groups and human rights organizations.
At the start of the war, officials reported at least 6,000 people contacted the Ukrainian embassy in Washington for information about supporting Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials rejected about half of the volunteers, citing criminal history, a lack of military experience, and other reasons deeming them unfit to serve.
According to The Daily Mail, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that federal officials estimate Russia has suffered more than 100,000 casualties, including over 20,000 killed in action. Nearly half were allegedly Wagner soldiers from a private military group run by an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kirby’s casualty update comes after Russian forces launched a large missile airstrike in different areas of Ukraine Sunday evening, sounding off air alerts across the country.