According to family members who are in mourning, a US Army veteran from Wisconsin died fighting in Ukraine last week.
Andrew Peters, 28, died on February 16 while fighting with the International Legion of Defense of Ukraine, according to an email from the man’s father to Wisconsin Public Radio.
Peters is thought to be the seventh American killed in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began a year ago.
Peters, a Marshfield resident, enlisted in the Army before graduating from high school in 2012. He served in Afghanistan in 2014 before taking up arms in Ukraine in November, according to WPR.
“He felt his time of service was not over, and went to assist in Ukraine where he joined other countrymen and legionnaires from all over the world to assist with the defense of Ukraine,” John Peters, who also served in the Army during the Gulf War in 1991, told the radio station.
“Andrew had a strong sense of what was right and wrong,” Peters said. “He felt the need to use his prior military combat skills to help the Ukrainian people fight and liberate their country. Andrew was extremely close to his fellow soldiers and was well liked by everyone. We are all extremely proud of his bravery and selfless sacrifice.”
Peters’ father stated that his son spoke several languages, including Ukrainian, Russian, and French.
The Ukrainian government established the International Legion in early 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion, to recruit foreign soldiers to help defend the Eastern European country.
The family is currently negotiating with the US Embassy in Kyiv to return Peters’ remains.
The US State Department said in a statement it “can confirm the deaths of U.S. citizens in Ukraine.
“We are in touch with their respective families and providing all possible consular assistance,” the department said.
