Former US marine killed in Ukraine: reports

A former Marine was killed last week in Bakhmut amid heavy fighting for control of the Ukrainian city, according to multiple outlets. 

Cooper “Harris” Andrews, 26, of Cleveland, was likely killed April 19 on the outskirts of Bakhmut after he was hit by a mortar on a route used to resupply Ukrainian troops and evacuate civilians, CNN first reported Monday.  

Andrews’s mother, Willow Andrews, told CNN that his body has not yet been recovered due to the ongoing fighting around Bakhmut.  

Journalist Jake Hanrahan on Sunday wrote of Andrews’s death on Twitter.  

The State Department on Tuesday confirmed the death of a U.S. citizen in Ukraine but would not release the individual’s identity. 

“We are in touch with the family and providing all possible consular assistance,” a spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add.” 

Andrews is at least the 12th American to be killed in the Ukraine-Russia war and the fourth Marine veteran, according to Task & Purpose. The U.S. government has urged its citizens not to travel to Ukraine. 

Andrews’s mother said he left Cleveland in November to join the Foreign Legion, a military unit of foreign fighters helping the Ukrainians fight against the Russian invasion. His contract ended in March but he decided to stay, she said. 

His Marine Corps records show he entered the service in January 2017 and served for five years as a ground vehicle electronics technician before leaving as a sergeant, though he never deployed. 

Fighting in Bakhmut has proved to be particularly deadly thanks to the city’s symbolic importance, leading to Russia’s increased desperation to take control of the area. But White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that most of Moscow’s efforts have “stalled and failed” in trying to take the city.

“After months of fighting and extraordinary losses, Russia continues to be focused on a single Ukrainian city with limited strategic value,” Kirby said.