American volunteer fighting in Ukraine killed

A U.S. citizen fighting with a volunteer militia on behalf of the Ukrainian government has been killed in fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Kyiv Post reports that the man was known only by his nomme de guerre of "Franko." A U.S. citizen of Ukrainian descent, he traveled to Ukraine and joined the Donbas Battalion, which is a group of volunteer fighters who support the government in Kiev and closer integration with the European Union.

He died while fighting to take control of the town of Ilovaisk, in the province of Donetsk, one of the areas with the strongest support for pro-Russian fighters. He is believed to have died after his unit came under heavy fire from rockets and artillery.

Vice News had interviewed Franko before his death. He is a man who appears to be in his 50s or 60s. He has a standard American English accent that cannot be pegged to any particular geographical region.

In the interview he said that because his parents were Ukrainian, he was eligible for immediate Ukrainian citizenship. He says that he first became a citizen before joining the Donbas Battalion.

He said he was a member of a six-man squad and held the rank of private. He said he is the only U.S. citizen he has encountered or of which he has heard. He said that he had previous experience serving in a professional military, but did not elaborate.

Franko said the Donbas Battalion had several hundred members and was probably the largest volunteer outfit operating in the area. Other pro-Kiev volunteer units include the Azov and Dnipro Battalions.

Franko estimated that around 25 percent of the Donbas Battalion had military training. He also placed the average age of the battalion's members between 35 and 40.

He said one of their primary motivations for fighting is to create a Ukraine and Ukrainian government free from corruption.