Nate Vance, cousin of the US Vice President JD Vance, fought against Russia on the side of Ukraine as part of the “Da Vinci Wolves”.
This is reported by the French media outlet Le Figaro.
Nate and JD share a common grandparent: JDʼs mother, Beverly, is the sister of Nateʼs father, James. Nate served in the United States Marine Corps from the ages of 18 to 22. After that, the publication says, the man was a civilian, living in San Antonio, Texas, and working in the oil industry.
In March 2022, after the start of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Nate Vance traveled to Lviv — at that time the city had become the center of international humanitarian aid to the country.
"I wanted to help [Ukraine] in some way, with logistics or medical support. I saw history being made before my eyes, and I wanted to be a part of it," the American said.
There he met a volunteer from the UK who was looking for foreigners willing to join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Nate agreed and in June 2022 he went to Donbas, fought as part of the "Honor" assault group of the separate assault battalion "Da Vinci Wolves". The man passed through the hottest points of the front: Bakhmut, Kupyansk, Avdiivka and Pokrovsk.
The soldier retired from service in January 2025, a few days before the inauguration of the US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. He says he is angry about the tensions between Kyiv and Washington.
"JD is a good person, smart. When he criticized aid to Ukraine, I thought it was because he had to please the electorate. But what they did to Zelensky is absolute dishonesty. Just because we are relatives doesnʼt mean Iʼll accept you helping to kill my comrades," Nate Vance said.
Now that he has returned to civilian life, he is looking for a publisher to publish a book of his wartime memoirs. Nate said he hopes to continue helping Ukraine.
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