Willy Joseph Cancel, the 22-year-old ex-marine who died in Ukraine while fighting Russia

A former US Marine has been killed in combat with Ukrainian forces in the war with Russia, family members told media on Friday.

He is the first American citizen known to have died fighting in Ukraine.

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Rebecca Cabrera told CNN station that her son, Willy Joseph Cancelaged 22, died in Ukraine when he worked for a military contractor company that sent him to the European country.

Cancel he had recently worked as a penal guard in Tennessee and had previously served as a Marine from 2017 to 2021.

Cabrera said her son had signed up to work with the military contractor shortly before the fighting began in Ukraine at the end of February. He told CNN that he agreed to go to Ukraine.

“He wanted to go because he believed in the cause of Ukraine and I wanted to be a part of it, to contain it there from getting here, and maybe American soldiers wouldn’t have to be involved.”he stated.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the federal administration had seen reports of Cancel’s death, but the US government had no official confirmation.

“First of all, we are with his family and loved ones”he stated. “We know that people want to help, but we urge Americans to find other ways to do so instead of traveling to Ukraine to fight there. It’s a war zone.”

For its part, the State Department said it was aware of the reports and is “Carefully monitoring the situation”. He added that he could not comment further because “privacy issues” and urged American citizens not to go to Ukraine.

Willy Joseph Cancel had been a United States Marine. (Social media/)

Cabrera indicated that his son’s body has not been found.

“They are trying, the men who were there with him, but it was either grab his body or die, but we would like him to come back to us”he pointed.

Cancel traveled to Poland on March 12 and entered Ukraine shortly after to fight alongside men from other countries, Cabrera said.

While in the Marine Corps, Cancel served as a rifleman and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was discharged for misconduct after being found guilty of violating a general statutory order, Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Jim Stenger said.

It had no war zone deployment, Stenger noted. No further details about the process were given.

Cancel’s widow, Brittany Cancel, told Fox News that he leaves behind a young son and that she views her husband as a hero.

“My husband died in Ukraine”, he stated. “He went there wanting to help people, he always felt that was his mission in life.”

Source: Elcomercio