Stephen D. Zabielski, 52, died in combat May 15, according to an obituary in his hometown newspaper.
A U.S. citizen has been killed in combat in Ukraine, according to an obituary published by his family and affirmed by the State Department, making him at least the second American to die as a result of the war. Stephen D. Zabielski, 52, died May 15 while fighting in the conflict, said the obituary, published in the Recorder, a newspaper serving Montgomery County in Upstate New York. He left behind a wife, five stepchildren and seven siblings, among other family. The State Department is in touch with the family and has provided “all possible consular assistance,” a U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the issue is considered sensitive. The official declined to offer more details about the case “out of respect to the family during this difficult time.”
News of the death circulated widely after Rolling Stone magazine, citing multiple people familiar with the circumstances of Zabielski’s death, reported Monday that he was a U.
