JAKARTA - Andy Milburn originally came to Ukraine to participate in covering the Russian invasion. But the former commander of the US special operations task force to fight ISIS in Iraq has now changed his mind.
"Just writing about stuff that's not really satisfying at all," Milburn said as quoted by NBC News, Wednesday, May 4.
The retired Marine colonel said he had never seen atrocities like those perpetrated by Russia in Ukraine. He was a living witness when he saw hundreds of massacred civilians -- including children -- found after Russian troops were driven out of the city of Bucha outside Kyiv.
"I have seen much of the destruction and depravity of mankind," he said.
“Bucha was something that really… numbed me for a few days… family vehicle, every passenger killed, not just one or two people, not just because the soldiers were triggered, but obviously being targeted along the way,” he said.
Milburn then formed the Mozart Group. He also called on other former British and American commandos to create a team of special operations veterans who trained and equipped the Ukrainian army.
The name was intended as a counterpoint to the Wagner Group, a notorious Russian mercenary organization. But Milburn said his group did not fight back.
"It's very important for us to get people who are not adventure seekers," he said.
“They are not here to take weapons, because they have moral clarity. They see a purpose here, and they want to be here for that reason."
The number of civilians in Ukraine who have died has exceeded 3,000 since Russia launched its invasion of the country on February 24, OHCHR said Monday, May 2.
OHCHR is the office of the United Nations (UN) dealing with human rights issues.
The total death toll, which is 3,153 people, has so far shown an increase of 254 people -- according to data on Friday (29/4).
According to OHCHR reported by Antara via Reuters, the total number is actually likely higher.
Most of the thousands of deaths were caused by explosions from various weapons, such as through missile strikes and air strikes, which had far-reaching effects, the UN office said.
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