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The leader of Russia’s powerful mercenary force in the Bakhmut region says an American has died in the embattled Ukrainian city.
Yevgeny Prigozhin posted a video on Telegram showing the body and a photo of a Pentagon identification card indicating the person is a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier from Boise, Idaho. Prigozhin said his team was preparing the remains for transfer to American authorities.
The State Department released a statement saying U.S. officials were aware of the reports and were seeking additional information.
“Our ability to verify reports of deaths of U.S. citizens in Ukraine is extremely limited,” the statement says. “We offer our condolences to the families of all whose lives have been lost as a result of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine.”
The statement also urged U.S. citizens not to travel to Ukraine.
Developments:
∙ Chinese special envoy Li Hui was arriving in Ukraine for a two-day peacemaking effort. Li also plans to visit Poland, Germany, France and Russia. Beijing’s first peace plan, released in February and centered on a pause in the fighting, drew no interest from Ukraine.
∙ The chairman of Ukraine’s Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniaziev, faces 12 years in prison if convicted of corruption charges filed against him Tuesday. Kniaziev is accused of taking an $1.8 million bribe to render a favorable verdict for mining magnate Kostiantyn Zhevago, who was arrested in January on suspicion of embezzling tens of millions of dollars.
∙ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met Tuesday with Ukraine first lady Olena Zelenska in Seoul and vowed to expand his country’s nonlethal aid, including ambulances and mine detection and removal equipment.
∙ Ukraine Marine Cmdr. Kostyantyn Bezsmertny has been charged with treason, accused of persuading 277 soldiers to surrender to Russian troops as prisoners of war, Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation said.
∙ Almost 200,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the war began almost 15 months ago, the Ukraine military said. It does not release its own casualty count. US Patriot battery stymies Russian assault on Kyiv
Ukrainian air defenses, bolstered by the recently deployed, U.S.-built Patriot batteries, shot down a savage barrage of Russian missiles targeting Kyiv early Tuesday, inspiring hope that the battered nation’s capital city can be shielded from Moscow’s unrelenting attacks.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander in chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, said Russia launched six hypersonic “Kinzhal” missiles from MiG jets, nine cruise missiles from ships in the Black Sea and three land-based S-400 cruise missiles.
