Former U.S. Special Forces Soldier Killed in Ukraine
Nick Maimer, a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier, was killed in the besieged city of Bakhmut
A former U.S. Army special forces soldier who traveled to Ukraine to help train troops to confront the Russian invasion was killed in the besieged city of Bakhmut, his family confirmed.
RIP Hero.
Retired US military Nick Maimer made ultimate sacrifice at Bakmut, fighting for Ukraine.#UkraineWillWin pic.twitter.com/bt2kKnDwIM— Moe Probz 🇺🇲 🇺🇦 🤘🏼 (@Manhattan_res82) May 17, 2023
The former Green Beret, Nick Maimer, an Idaho man and 20-year military veteran, had been teaching English in Europe in 2022, when Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
For its part, the Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries boasted of having killed Maimer during the fighting recorded in Bakhmut, but his family later confirmed his death to The Idaho Statesman.
According to the media outlet, Maimer’s uncle, Paul, identified the body seen in a video shared by Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin as that of his nephew.
According to the media outlet, Maimer had felt a “calling” to help Ukrainians defend themselves against one of “the clearest unjust invasions in recent history.”
That was why the 45-year-old former Green Beret arrived in Ukraine in May 2022 and, according to a video he posted on Facebook, set out not to participate in combat, but to help train Ukrainian troops.
“I was in Poland when the war started, and since I’m a retired soldier with a lot of experience, I knew I could come and help them. But I didn’t necessarily want to fight, because I have a lot of specific training in training foreign military,” he said in the video.
For her part, Maimer’s aunt, Cheri, told The Daily Beast that the family supported his trip to Ukraine to help them defend themselves against Russian forces.
She said it had been difficult to stay in close contact with him given his location, but that the family had made a point to check his Facebook profile to make sure he was still active and alive.
Upon arriving in Ukraine, Maimer had briefly linked up with the Mozart Group, a private military company made up of Western volunteers with military experience.
Sadly, Maimer lost his life, his family reported to the media, and while there are no details of his passing, it is known that he passed away in the town of Bakhmut.