A former US Navy SEAL commando fighting in the Ukraine War in his personal capacity killed in Ukraine on Wednesday, said US officials.
The former commando has been identified as Daniel W Shift. He is the sixth US citizen known to have died so far in the Ukraine War.
Several foreign nationals, including ex-service personnel, have joined war efforts in Ukraine. They are fighting along side Ukrainian military and militias against the invading Russian forces.
The US Navy records show Shift is a deserter since March 2019. In military, a deserter is someone who abandons the post, camp, and remains absent without approved leave. It's a serious offence in all militaries. Desertion in war time can even be punished with death as per the US law, according to the law firm Daniel Conway & Associates, but desertion in peace time usually carries three to five years of confinement in addition to service being terminated.
Who are US Navy SEALS?
US Navy SEALS are special forces personnel of the US Navy. They are part of the US special forces whose other elements include US Army's Delta Force and US Air Force Special Tactics Squadron.
There are several SEAL Teams, the most well-known being SEAL Team Six which became famous with the mission that killed the then-Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan. US Navy SEAL team personnel are highly specialised commandos who carry out high-importance mission.
The State Department declined to address Swift's death specifically but said in a statement that it could confirm the recent death of a US citizen in Ukraine.
"We are in touch with his family and providing all possible consular assistance," said the Department of State.
Who is US Navy SEAL Daniel W Shift?
Shift joined the US Navy in 2005 and a SEAL unit in 2007. He would leave the service and return in 2015, rejoining the SEALs a year later.
Of his Navy career, the Time reported, "They [Navy records] list assignments with a Naval Special Warfare 'Cold Weather Detachment' out of Kodiak, Ak. in 2007 and separate stints with two 'West Coast-based Special Warfare Unit(s)' from July 2007 to January 2014. Beginning in August 2017, Swift was with a 'West Coast Special Warfare Unit'."
Shift has been a deserter since March 2019, according to Navy records.
The US government has discouraged Americans from going to fight for Ukraine, citing concerns that they may be captured by Russian forces and held hostage.
At least 6,000 people contacted the Ukrainian embassy in Washington during the opening weeks of the war seeking information about how to volunteer on behalf of Ukraine. Half the potential volunteers were quickly rejected for lacking military experience, having a criminal record, or otherwise not being fit to serve, Ukraine's military attaché said last year.
An unknown number of Americans have joined units of foreign fighters supporting Kyiv. Others are volunteering with aid groups and human rights organisations.
(With AP inputs)
