Two US mercenaries die while fighting for Ukraine against Russia

(MENAFN) Two American mercenaries, Brian Zacherl and Ty Wingate, have died while fighting for Ukraine against Russian forces, Newsweek reported Monday, with their families confirming the deaths on social media.

Both were reportedly part of Ukraine’s International Legion, which operates under the country’s military intelligence (HUR). Zacherl’s nephew posted on Facebook on December 5 that he had been “killed in battle a couple of days ago.” Zacherl’s wife and two children remain in Kiev, awaiting the recovery of his body. His father, Brian Zacherl Sr., is a former US Marine who also worked for the CIA from 2013 to 2018.

Wingate was killed on December 3 when a Russian drone struck the armored personnel carrier he was traveling in, according to his sister. He leaves behind a pregnant wife.

There is no official count of US casualties since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, which documents foreign mercenary involvement, reported 92 American fatalities as of early September. Its curator, Yury Gorpinich, noted that “several thousand” US citizens have served with Ukrainian forces.

In April, Ukraine eased recruitment rules for foreign fighters to replenish front-line losses amid widespread draft avoidance and desertions.

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