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 his Pentagon identification card indicating the individual 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 are 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.
Developing:
∙ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met Tuesday with Ukraine first lady Olena Zelenska in Seoul, vowing to expand his country’s non-lethal aid including ambulances and mine detection and removal equipment.
∙ Ukraine Marine commander 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. Ukraine's air defenses downed them all, he said, along with six Iranian-made "kamikaze drones" and three reconnaissance drones.
"Another unbelievable success for the Ukrainian Air Forces!" tweeted Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. "Russian terrorists have no chance of prevailing over Ukraine. Their weapons can and should be countered by Western ones."
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said a Patriot missile battery was destroyed by a Kinzhal missile, but Ukraine officials declined to address the claim.
Russia launched its latest attack around 3:30 a.m. from the north, south and east, the Air Force said. Debris from the destruction caused some damage and started fires. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said three people were injured in Solomianskyi district, where debris ignited a fire that damaged four buses and a garage.
"A full-on aerial attack on Kyiv last night, pretty intense," tweeted Melinda Simmons, Britain's ambassador to Ukraine. "Bangs and shaking walls are not an easy night. Hope everyone is ok."
Ukraine claims gains around Bakhmut
Ukrainian forces claim to have recaptured almost 8 square miles of territory in fierce battles north and south of Bakhmut since last week, but they say Russian troops continue to make gains within the nearly abandoned city. “Heavy battles continue with differing results,” Ukraine’s deputy defense minister said Hanna Malyar said on Telegram. The Russian-installed head of the partially occupied Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, told Russian state TV that Russian forces near Bakhmut have reinforced their flanks in the face of Ukrainian successes.
European human rights panel meets on Ukraine
European leaders began a two-day summit of the 46-nation Council of Europe, only the fourth full session of the human rights panel since its creation in 1949. The meeting in Iceland will attempt to quantify damage in Ukraine caused by the Kremlin’s forces so compensation claims can be lodged against the Kremlin. The summit is also expected to boost initiatives to address emerging challenges to democracy and human rights, including the environment and artificial intelligence.
Zelenskyy will lobby for 50 F-16s
President Volodymyr Zelensky will lobby for up to 50 F-16 fighter jets during the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima on Friday-Sunday and the forthcoming NATO summit in Vilnius this July, defense advise Yuriy Sak said. The jets would allow formation of three or four squadrons to protect the sky over Ukraine, he said. The country's air force already has received more than two dozen Russian-built MIG-29s from Poland and Slovakia. Zelenskyy, however, is pressing for the more advanced, Western planes.
Contributing: The Associated Press
