According to an obituary published in The Recorder, Stephen Zabielski was killed in the fighting on May 15. News of his death appeared in the American media on Monday. After Zabielsky, who came from New York and moved to Florida in recent years, his wife, five stepchildren and grandchildren remain.
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A foreign ministry spokesman confirmed Zabielsky’s death in Ukraine, saying the office was in contact with the deceased man’s family, who had provided “all possible consular assistance.”
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US authorities warn against traveling to Ukraine
The spokesman also reiterated an earlier warning that US citizens should not travel to Ukraine because of the conflict and the possibility that the Russian government could target them. He added that all American citizens in Ukraine should leave the country immediately.
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Despite earlier warnings, several Americans volunteered to fight alongside Ukrainian forces. A 22-year-old former member of the US Marine Corps was killed in Ukraine at the end of April. Several American volunteers are also currently missing in Ukraine.
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Captive Americans
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday confirmed the capture of two Americans in Ukraine. According to the AP agency, 39-year-old Alexander Drueke and 27-year-old Andy Huynh are being held by pro-Russian separatists in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) in Donbas. Peskov described both men as mercenaries not covered by the Geneva Conventions. According to him, they participated in illegal activities in the territory of Ukraine and must be held accountable for their crime
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