Wisconsin Army vet dies fighting in Ukraine, family says

A US Army veteran from Wisconsin died fighting in Ukraine last week, grieving family members announced this week.

Andrew Peters, 28, died Feb. 16 while fighting alongside the International Legion of the Defense of Ukraine, the man’s father told Wisconsin Public Radio in an email.

Peters is believed to be the seventh American killed on the frontlines in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began a year ago.

A resident of Marshfield, Peters enlisted in the Army before graduating high school in 2012. He served a tour of Afghanistan in 2014 before taking up arms in Ukraine in November, WPR reported.

“He felt his time of service was not over, and went to assist in Ukraine where he joined other countrymen and legionnaires from all over the world to assist with the defense of Ukraine,” John Peters, who also served in the Army during the Gulf War in 1991, told the radio station.

Peters’ father said his son was proficient in several languages, including Ukrainian, Russian and French.

“Andrew had a strong sense of what was right and wrong,” Peters said. “He felt the need to use his prior military combat skills to help the Ukrainian people fight and liberate their country. Andrew was extremely close to his fellow soldiers and was well liked by everyone. We are all extremely proud of his bravery and selfless sacrifice.”

The International Legion was created by the Ukrainian Government in early 2022 shortly after Russia’s invasion to enlist foreign soldiers to help defend the Eastern European country.

The family is currently working with the US Embassy in Kyiv to have Peters’ remains returned.

The US State Department said in a statement it “can confirm the deaths of U.S. citizens in Ukraine. 

“We are in touch with their respective families and providing all possible consular assistance,” the department said.