Over 20 Americans are currently unaccounted for on the front lines in Ukraine, with a notable increase in casualties over the last six months as foreign fighters step in to address critical shortages in the nation’s beleaguered defenses, as reported by a CNN.
The remains of at least five American volunteers who joined the Ukrainian military have been left unretrieved from the battlefield after being killed in action during this period, according to CNN’s findings. Two of these individuals were returned from Russian-controlled territory to Ukraine on Friday following extensive negotiations.
The poignant accounts from their surviving comrades, coupled with the rising number of casualties, highlight the significant yet often overlooked contributions of American fighters on the front lines in a conflict that former President Donald Trump has labeled as “ridiculous” and has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve through diplomatic means.
Families of the missing Americans have expressed to CNN their profound anguish over the inability to lay their sons to rest, the legal uncertainties surrounding the official declaration of their loved ones’ deaths, and the harassment they endure from Russian internet trolls. The fierce combat along Ukraine’s eastern front often prevents the recovery of fallen soldiers from both sides, leaving their bodies scattered across the battlefield.
In a tragic incident in late September near Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, two American volunteers lost their lives, as reported by survivors and family members. Neither of their bodies has been recovered. Zachary Ford, a 25-year-old former US soldier from Missouri, and another American, known only by the callsign ‘Gunther,’ were killed by a drone strike while attempting to destroy a bridge near the village of Novohrodivka.
The American survivor, who prefers to be identified by his callsign ‘Redneck,’ recounted a mission that had minimal chances of success, during which he and two other US volunteers found themselves quickly ensnared by Russian gunfire in a trench approximately 500 meters from their intended bridge target.
“Russian drones began descending from the treeline, attempting to breach the bunker’s roof,” he recounted in a recent interview with CNN from the United States. A log from the roof struck him in the face, he noted. “I had the shotgun, and I was trying to take these drones down.”
Redneck communicated with his commanders via radio, suggesting they abandon the mission, but he was ordered to proceed, with no evacuation possible for another day. As the assault commenced, he reported firing his machine gun at Russian forces directly in front of him, while Ukrainian soldiers operating a grenade launcher and an anti-tank Javelin system were killed while trying to fend off Russian armored units.
He mentioned that he entered a bunker to retrieve ammunition, narrowly avoiding a drone strike that injured Ford and Gunther. Ford’s injuries necessitated the application of two tourniquets to control the bleeding, which Redneck administered before returning to the defense, witnessing a Ukrainian soldier being fatally shot in the face right before him.
Shortly thereafter, he heard Ford shout, “Gunther is dead,” he told CNN. “I went down to check, and the Ukrainian there just looked at me and said, ‘friend dead.’” Redneck confirmed that Ford was stable, while their commander alerted them over the radio that another Russian assault was on the horizon.
Redneck recounted, “He realized we wouldn’t survive another assault, so he began pleading with me to end his life to avoid capture.” Redneck insisted he would not comply and reassured Ford that they would find a way to overcome the situation, all while reloading their weapons in preparation for the impending attack.
“He became very quiet,” Redneck recalled. “A few minutes later, he called me over and mentioned that he had loosened his tourniquets.” Redneck reapplied them, but it was evident that Ford had lost too much blood.
Ford’s final wish was to see the sunlight as he passed away. “I positioned him with his head facing the door so he could gaze outside at the sun, and I held his hand. The last coherent thing he said was, ‘never let it be said that the bastards killed me.’”
Redneck noted that Ford’s feelings were shared by many foreign fighters.
One of Redneck’s most vivid memories of Ford was the small blue speaker he always carried, playing the UK artist Artemas’ song, “I like the way you kiss me.” “He was always playing music and dancing around that speaker,” he recalled.
He mentioned that the survival rate of foreign volunteer fighters on the front lines depended on their experience and the assignments given by the brigades they joined. While some officers treated foreigners and Ukrainians equally, others “would betray you and get you killed in no time.”
He attributed the losses in his brigade to a “poor officer… who didn’t differentiate between anyone. It was just fodder for the grinder, and he sent whoever he could find.”
“At this stage, you can’t deny that it’s America’s fight,” he stated. Critics of the war are “trying to argue, ‘this is Ukraine’s issue. If we can just achieve peace now, we won’t have to confront this.’ The reality is, it’s not going to end,” Redneck concluded.
A resident from the United States, known as Redneck, reported that his unit was evacuated from the combat zone, and he later viewed drone footage depicting the bodies of Ford and Gunther. The location of their engagement is currently under Russian control.
The task of recovering deceased soldiers from the front lines is both challenging and emotionally taxing. Corey Nawrocki, a 41-year-old former US Marine from Pennsylvania, lost his life while fighting in Russia’s Bryansk region in October.
His remains were displayed by Russian troops on Telegram, but following intricate negotiations, he was among nearly 800 deceased individuals returned to Ukraine by Russia on Friday, alongside another American who had been reported missing.
Sandy Nawrocki, his mother, expressed her grief, stating she felt a “whirlwind of emotions – relief, but sadness. A weight is lifted off my shoulder because now I don’t have to worry about what they might be doing to him over there.”
She characterized Nawrocki, a marine veteran with two decades of service, including six tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, as a “smartass” who had a knack for making her laugh. His motivation to fight in Ukraine stemmed from the suffering he witnessed among civilians.
“Innocent people getting killed, babies being slaughtered,” she remarked. “I think that really bothered him.”
Nawrocki was fatally shot while attempting to assist an injured colleague, as reported by his mother.
Images of his body and the weapons involved circulated extensively on Russian social media, and she noted that her address and videos of her home were also shared. When she attempted to inform Nawrocki’s Marine friends about his passing on social media, she encountered pro-Russian trolls who posted derogatory comments and smiley faces.
She had opposed her son’s decision to go to Ukraine, stating that this was an “unprovoked war.” She emphasized, “This is a war that affects everyone. If Russia prevails over Ukraine, it will have repercussions for Poland and all European nations.”
The process of repatriating deceased Americans involves a challenging and emotional journey for those affected. Lauren Guillaume, an American residing in Kyiv and affiliated with the non-profit RT Weatherman Foundation, aids foreign families in locating their loved ones, often collaborating with the foundation’s Ukrainian investigator, Iryna Khoroshayeva, to search through morgues.
Guillaume explained that positive identification can be achieved through a combination of visual recognition and DNA analysis.
Ukrainian officials indicated that identifying remains becomes more complicated when they are returned from the Russian side. “In a body swap, we might receive a bag containing remains from multiple individuals,” stated Artur Dobroserdov, Ukraine’s commissioner for missing persons under the Ministry of the Interior.
Dobroserdov confirmed that over 20 Americans are currently unaccounted for, noting that they can only release parts of the remains for repatriation once all have been identified, to avoid the situation where families bury a portion of a loved one only to receive additional remains later.
One of the initial cases that Guillaume was able to address involved Cedric Hamm, a US Army veteran from Texas, who lost his life in the northern border area of Sumy in March. Hamm’s family recognized the distinctive combination of Aztec and US military tattoos on his body during a video livestream that Guillaume organized from the morgue. His remains were subsequently repatriated to San Antonio in December.
“I take great pride in my son,” remarked his mother, Raquel Hamm, noting that he had gone to Ukraine to leverage his military experience for travel opportunities. She was particularly moved by his bravery, stating that she learned he had “saved another young man” during the firefight that ultimately claimed his life.
“I honestly expected that my son would never be found,” Hamm expressed. “He made the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield for the freedom of Ukraine, and that will always stay with me. My child did not die in vain.”
“He was incredibly selfless,” shared a fellow American fighter who was injured in the same battle that took Hamm’s life, speaking to CNN from the US where he is recuperating. For security reasons, he requested to be identified by the pseudonym Mitchell.
Guillaume explained that foreigners can be officially declared deceased through physical verification, such as DNA analysis of their remains, or via a court ruling if there is substantial evidence of their death. “It requires time,” she noted. In March, her organization was handling 16 cases, but that number has now risen to 88 dead or missing foreigners from 18 different nationalities, with Americans making up half of that total. “The majority of these are cases of missing in action,” she added.
The actual number of American volunteers who have died in Ukraine is still uncertain, according to Guillaume.
She asserts that the increasing figures of deceased and missing individuals can be attributed to foreigners being deployed to challenging frontline locations where their previous military experience is essential. “We observe that foreign operatives effectively address the needs of extremely difficult, high-risk, and high-reward missions. Their lives and sacrifices are not in vain.”
