US confirms ex-Marine released from Russia hurt in Ukraine fighting

WASHINGTON

US Marine veteran Trevor Reed was injured while fighting in Ukraine, the State Department confirmed Tuesday.

Reed was subsequently transported by a non-governmental organization to Germany where he is receiving medical care, spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters.

The State Department continued to emphasize that Americans should not travel to Ukraine for any reason, including to take part in the fighting there, due to the "significant risks including the risk of capture, or death, or physical harm as well."

"Mr. Reed was not engaged in any activities on behalf of the US government. And as I indicated, we have been incredibly clear, warning American citizens not to travel to Ukraine, let alone participate in fighting," said Patel.

"We are not in place to provide assistance to evacuate practice private US assistance from Ukraine, including those Americans who may decide to travel to Ukraine to participate in that onboarding.

The exact circumstances surrounding Reed's injury remain unclear, including the extent of his wounds and where he was fighting.

News website the Messenger was the first to report on the matter. It said Reed was injured two weeks ago when he stepped on a landmine and suffered shrapnel wounds.

Reed was a high-profile American held prisoner in Russia until he was freed in 2022 as part of a prisoner swap facilitated by Türkiye that ended his three-year imprisonment. Reed was exchanged for Russian national Konstantin Yaroshenko, who had been jailed in the US on drug smuggling charges.

Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia in 2010 on drug smuggling charges and extradited to the US, where he was serving out a 20-year prison term.