The conflict in Ukraine has claimed the life of a U.S. citizen, the State Department said.
U.S. officials would not confirm the name of the individual or how they died. However, CNN identified the victim as former Marine Cooper "Harris" Andrews, citing his mother.
She told the network that her son was hit by a mortar shell on an access road to Bakhmut. Andrews is believed to be the ninth American who volunteered to fight in Ukraine to die.
Bakhmut, in the eastern part of the country, is currently the site of intense fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian soldiers.
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The conflict in Ukraine has been going on for 14 months. While many military analysts expected Russia to quickly take control of the country, Ukraine has shown incredible resolve.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said this week that the U.S. believes approximately 100,000 Russians have been killed or injured in the last five months.
Russia dismissed those claims on Tuesday.
“Washington has absolutely no way to give any correct numbers, and this is how it should be treated. You need to focus on the numbers that the Ministry of Defense will publish in due time,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN.
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