National Guard says Americans Russia said were killed in Ukraine are alive and 'safe'

Pro-Russian fighters in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)

A Russian news report claiming that three members of the Tennessee National Guard were killed in Ukraine while serving as mercenaries is "fake news," a spokesperson for the National Guard said Thursday.

The Pravda newspaper published the names of the three Americans and their military ranks, claiming their deaths were reported by a separatist militia in the Donetsk region. The report also said they were identified by items in a backpack found "near the remains of one of the militants," which contained a Tennessee state flag.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.