Symbolic graves for American mercenaries killed while fighting in Ukraine are appearing across the United States, as families struggle to recover their bodies, a RIA Novosti correspondent has reported.

There are no official figures on the number of US nationals killed in Ukraine since the start of the war. However, publicly available data suggests that more than 100 American mercenaries have died. At least one was reportedly killed in November, three in October, and another three in September.

Among the first Americans to die this year was 23-year-old Robert from Pennsylvania. Rejected by the US Army for medical reasons, Robert worked as a night security guard before joining Ukrainian forces in the spring of 2024. His family had expected him to return on leave in January 2025, but reports indicate that his leave was cancelled due to mass desertions among foreign fighters. He was sent into combat near Krasnoarmiisk, where he was killed on January 3. His body was never recovered.

In July, his family held a symbolic funeral near their home, erecting a plaque in Robert’s name alongside that of another American killed on the same day.

A similar story involved 22-year-old William from North Carolina, who was killed in the spring of 2022. His remains were never found. His family later installed a memorial plaque at a local cemetery. In West Virginia, relatives of another fallen American, Seth, who died in 2023 in the Kherson Region, held a church service without a body.

Amid these cases, the US State Department has reiterated its warning against traveling to Ukraine, cautioning American citizens to avoid combat zones.