Yevgeny Prigozhin, who made his name as a profane and brutal mercenary boss before mounting an armed rebellion that was the most severe and shocking challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule, has died at age 62.

Russian authorities have confirmed his death, putting to rest any doubts about whether the wily mercenary leader turned mutineer was on a plane that crashed killing everyone on board.

(POC) - AECOM will provide program management advisory and technical advisory support to help Ukraine rebuild its infrastructure, the company announced last month. The Dallas-based firm signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine’s Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development to serve as its reconstruction delivery partner.

“This is a stark reminder of the perils rescue and aid workers face in conflict zones as they serve citizens caught in the crossfire. Pete was just 33 years old, but lived a life in service of others, first as a decorated US Marine and then in humanitarian aid. GRM will strive to honor his legacy and the selfless service he practiced,”

Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $550 million to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This authorization is the Biden Administration's seventeenth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.

The United States and NATO have recently ramped up their support to Ukraine by providing major weapon systems in addition to the munitions and supplies they have been providing from the beginning of the conflict. These systems―artillery, anti-aircraft weapons, tracked vehicles―will enhance Ukrainian capabilities for the ongoing fight in the east, and, perhaps, for an eventual counteroffensive. However, the maintenance and training demands of these particular systems, which the Ukrainian military has never used before, will overwhelm Ukraine's ability to cope. The next step in U.S. aid should be, and likely will be, provide battlefield contractors in Ukraine to maintain these systems and train Ukrainians on their use.

"Thousands of people around the world want to help in Ukraine, but they don't have the skills, experience, or credentials to work with an international aid organization"

Two days after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, the World Health Organization issued a global request: The war-torn country needed doctors, nurses, and EMTs with experience in complex emergencies.

Within days, a 22-person group from Team Rubicon, an international disaster-response nonprofit based near Los Angeles International Airport, flew to Krakow, Poland.

Willy Joseph Cancel, a 22-year-old American citizen, and former U.S. Marine were killed in Ukraine last week.

According to sources the contractor was originally from Orange County, New York, lived with his wife and 7-month-old baby in Tennessee, where he worked full-time as a corrections officer. After the war in Ukraine broke out, Joseph Cancel signed up to work for a private military company which then sent him to fight in Ukraine.

Foreign military contractors say they are not fighting in Ukraine period.

Most are being approached to help NGOs and humanitarian organizations in Ukraine or neighboring countries in need of people with specialized skills and experience working in austere conditions in conflict zones.

"Most of the guys I personally know going over are doctors, physician assistants, paramedics, nurses, and former special ops guys - or non-special ops guys - who are combat vets and understand," said Mykel Hawke, a former US special forces officer who has worked as a war zone contractor.

The State Department stated earlier this week that it was suspending operations at the US Embassy in Minsk, Belarus, and authorized departure for non-emergency employees and family members at the Embassy in Moscow due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

POSTED BY U.S. EMBASSY - RUSSIA: " U.S. citizens should consider departing Russia immediately via commercial options still available.

If you are in Russia and your U.S. passport expired on or after January 1, 2020, you may be able to use your expired passport to return directly to the United States until March 31, 2022.

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As fears grow that Russia is on the brink of invading Ukraine, the State Department is telling Americans to get out now.

The State Department has ordered families of U.S. Embassy personnel in Ukraine to start fleeing beginning Monday, according to Fox News. Ukraine is seven hours ahead of the United States’ Eastern Time zone, meaning evacuations could begin when it’s still Sunday in Washington.

ACADEMI released a statement last month to kill the rumors about there involvement in Ukraine conflict:

Some irresponsible bloggers and an online reporter have recently posted rumors that ACADEMI employees (operating under the name of Blackwater) are present in Ukraine. They are not and ACADEMI has no relationship with any entity named Blackwater or with the former owner of Blackwater, Erik Prince. Such unfounded statements combined with the lack of factual reporting to support them and the lack of context about the company, are nothing more than sensationalistic efforts to create hysteria and headlines in times of genuine crisis.