A former US Marine, Cooper "Harris" Andrews, 26, was killed on the outskirts of Bakhmut late last week, according to his mother and colleagues in Ukraine.
Andrews, from Cleveland, Ohio, was hit by a mortar, his mother, Willow Andrews, said, likely on April 19 on the so-called "Road of Life" -- a rare access road into Bakhmut used by the Ukrainian military to resupply their forces but also evacuate civilians.
Cooper Andrews felt there was work to be done after active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, so he went overseas to help the people of Ukraine, his mother said.
“On that day, in that area, they were trying to evacuate civilians,” Willow Andrews told News 5's Rob Powers. “So Cooper did what Cooper went over there to do: to help people.”
Andrew's body has yet to be recovered, she said, owing to the ongoing fighting around the city, whose outsized symbolic importance has led to intense fighting as Moscow desperately tries to seize it.
Andrews worked for an activist group known as the Resistance Committee, according to their social media statements. They said he was killed assisting the evacuation of civilians from the city. Andrews left Cleveland, Ohio, in November and joined the Foreign Legion in Ukraine, a group of foreign fighters helping the Ukrainian military. His contract ended in March, Mrs. Andrews said, and he decided to stay on.
The State Department said on Monday it could "confirm the death of a US citizen in Ukraine" without naming the individual.
"We are in touch with the family and providing all possible consular assistance," a State Department spokesperson said. "Out of respect for the family's privacy during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add."
Suncere Ali Shakur understood why his friend felt the need to help but didn’t want Cooper to go.
“It crushed me. It crushed me. My worst fear was realized.” he said.
Andrews attended Heights High School through his junior year.
The district released the following statement on his death:
"The CH-UH City School District is deeply saddened to learn of the death of former student Cooper Andrews. This tragedy speaks to the heartbreak and devastation caused by war. We send our sincerest condolences to Cooper's family and loved ones."
A Go Fund Me account, the “Cooper Andrews Memorial Fund”, has been started to help benefit Cleveland charities and causes Cooper believed in. The family says it’s to help others do the work Cooper’s not here to do anymore. CLICK HERE for more information.
