WASHINGTON — Navy veteran Trevor Reed, wrongfully detained in Russia for 3 years earlier than being launched in a prisoner alternate final yr, was injured in fight in Ukraine, the State Division confirmed Tuesday.
“We all know Trevor Reed was injured whereas combating in Ukraine,” deputy spokesman Vedant Patel advised a information convention. “Mr. Reed has been flown to Germany and is receiving medical consideration.”
Patel didn’t say how Reed was injured or his situation. Reed was transferred to Germany by a non-governmental group, however Patel didn’t identify that group or say whether or not he was being handled in a navy or civilian hospital.
“For privateness causes, I haven’t got another particular particulars to supply on this,” Patel mentioned.
However Patel burdened that whereas in Ukraine, Reed “was not engaged in any exercise on behalf of the US authorities.”
Reached by NBC Information, a spokesperson for the Reed household declined to touch upon the data.
Reed was arrested in the summertime of 2019 in Moscow after Russian authorities mentioned he assaulted an officer whereas being pushed to a police station after an evening of heavy ingesting.
Reed, his Russian girlfriend and her household have denied the costs. The US ambassador to Russia known as the proof flimsy.
Regardless of these objections, Reed was sentenced to 9 years in jail.
Reed was launched in April 2022 in alternate for Russian drug trafficker Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was serving a 20-year federal sentence for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into america.
It was not instantly clear when Reed traveled to Ukraine or how he got here to combat there.
“Because the begin of this warfare, we’ve got warned Americans who journey to Ukraine, notably for the aim of collaborating within the combating there, that they face important threat, together with the chance of seize, loss of life or bodily damage,” Patel mentioned.
Reed enlisted within the Marines as an infantryman in 2011. Through the Obama administration, Reed was a member of a Marine unit that gives presidential assist.
Amongst different issues, Reed protected Vice President Joe Biden at Camp David, based on his household. Reed was fired from the Marines in 2016.
Julia Jester reported from Washington. Corky Siemaszko reported from New York.