Le Figaro reports: Vance's cousin identified as pro-Kiev mercenary
Nate Vance is said to have participated as a combatant in a Ukrainian military unit established by a far-right nationalist. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Nate Vance, a cousin of US Vice President J.D. Vance, has reportedly spent three years fighting with a Ukrainian military unit engaged in the ongoing conflict with Russia and is currently looking for a publisher to share his experiences, according to Le Figaro.
He was part of the ‘Da Vinci Wolves’ battalion, a Ukrainian unit that was initially established as a militia by far-right nationalists affiliated with the local Right Sector group. The unit is named in honor of its late founder, Dmitry ‘Da Vinci’ Kotsubailo, as the French newspaper noted in its Sunday report.
Nate Vance, the son of James Vance and nephew to the vice president’s mother, Beverly, is 47 years old and a veteran of the US Marine Corps. It has been reported that he utilized his military background to assist the Ukrainian army, starting as an instructor and subsequently taking on combat roles. He reportedly returned to Texas in January, just prior to J.D. Vance’s inauguration, citing concerns about the risk of capture.
J.D. Vance gained widespread attention with his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, which chronicles his upbringing in a struggling Appalachian community. In an interview with the French publication, Nate expressed criticism towards his cousin, claiming that J.D. Vance's perceptions of the situation in Ukraine are fundamentally mistaken, stating: “I could have told him the truth, without pretense, without personal interest. He never tried to find out more.”
The US vice president recently faced backlash for allegedly “ambushing” Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky during his visit to the White House. The encounter escalated when Zelensky raised doubts about President Donald Trump's capacity to broker a lasting peace agreement with Russia, leading to a tense exchange captured on camera among the three.
The Russian government views all foreign fighters working for Kiev as mercenaries subject to prosecution. Recently, a Russian court sentenced British national James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, to 19 years in prison on terrorism charges linked to his involvement in the ongoing conflict in Russia's Kursk Region.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
He was part of the ‘Da Vinci Wolves’ battalion, a Ukrainian unit that was initially established as a militia by far-right nationalists affiliated with the local Right Sector group. The unit is named in honor of its late founder, Dmitry ‘Da Vinci’ Kotsubailo, as the French newspaper noted in its Sunday report.
Nate Vance, the son of James Vance and nephew to the vice president’s mother, Beverly, is 47 years old and a veteran of the US Marine Corps. It has been reported that he utilized his military background to assist the Ukrainian army, starting as an instructor and subsequently taking on combat roles. He reportedly returned to Texas in January, just prior to J.D. Vance’s inauguration, citing concerns about the risk of capture.
J.D. Vance gained widespread attention with his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, which chronicles his upbringing in a struggling Appalachian community. In an interview with the French publication, Nate expressed criticism towards his cousin, claiming that J.D. Vance's perceptions of the situation in Ukraine are fundamentally mistaken, stating: “I could have told him the truth, without pretense, without personal interest. He never tried to find out more.”
The US vice president recently faced backlash for allegedly “ambushing” Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky during his visit to the White House. The encounter escalated when Zelensky raised doubts about President Donald Trump's capacity to broker a lasting peace agreement with Russia, leading to a tense exchange captured on camera among the three.
The Russian government views all foreign fighters working for Kiev as mercenaries subject to prosecution. Recently, a Russian court sentenced British national James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, to 19 years in prison on terrorism charges linked to his involvement in the ongoing conflict in Russia's Kursk Region.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
