Mozart Group
The Mozart Group (Ukrainian: Група Моцарт, Hrupa Motsart) is a private military company operating in Ukraine during 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1][2] The Mozart Group assists the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Mozart Group is composed of Western volunteers with military experience,[2] and provides military training, civilian evacuations and rescue, and humanitarian aid distribution.[1][2] It was founded in mid-March[1] by Andrew Milburn, a retired U.S. Marine colonel[2] who also serves as the head of Mozart Group.[1]
The name of the group was chosen as a witty reference[2][1] and counterpoint[2] to the opposing Russian mercenary Wagner Group, both being named after German-speaking composers.[2][1] A rescued dog named Richie serves as the group's mascot.[1]
Overview
The Mozart Group is structured as a limited liability company registered in Wyoming, the United States.[3] Mozart Group is not directly involved in combat (other than self-defence), and is compliant with the US Neutrality Act which prohibits U.S. citizens from joining foreign militaries or launching wars against countries not at war with the U.S.[1] Milburn has said that Mozart Group has no contact with and receives no support from the U.S. government,[4] but that he wishes there was more contact with the U.S. government.[2]
Founding
The Mozart Group was founded in mid-March[1] by Andrew Milburn, a retired U.S. Marine colonel with over 31 years of service in the U.S. military.[2] Milburn had served in Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Milburn found some of the conflicts in which he served over his career morally ambiguous which left him disenchanted, and consequently felt a calling to help the Ukrainian cause which he found morally just. Milburn arrived in Ukraine in early March 2022 as a correspondent for the U.S. military publication Task & Purpose. After founding Mozart Group, he set up an office in Kyiv and began soliciting donations.[1] The group subsequently relocated from Kyiv to the Donbas.[2]
Personnel
As of August 2022, the Mozart Group consisted of 20-30 volunteers hailing from the U.S., U.K., Ireland, and other Western countries.[2] Members are mostly former special operations personnel.[1] Most members are Anglophone, and between 30 and 45 years in age.[5]
Mozart Group offers more flexible contracts than the Ukrainian Foreign Legion.[5] Prospective new members are carefully vetted.[2]
Mozart Group volunteers are forbidden from participating in combat and are to be immediately expelled if they do.[2]
Activities
The Mozart Group participates in various forms of training (including frontline training, nighttime training, recruit training and officer training, drone warfare training,[1] anti-tank missile training,[1] mine clearance training, and sniper training[2]), civilian evacuation and rescue, humanitarian aid distribution,[1] mine clearance,[2] and first aid.[5]
Financing
The Mozart Group is funded mostly by private U.S. donors.[2] Some of its biggest donors are hedge fund managers with Ukrainian ancestry. A humanitarian organisation has also provided financial support for the express purpose of assisting evacuations.[1]
Milburn has said the U.S. government was concerned that providing funding to Mozart Group might transform it into a private military contractor involved in the war.[2]
History
The Mozart Group initially trained Kyiv's civil defence force as it defended the capital.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Gettleman, Jeffrey (2022-10-09). "An American in Ukraine Finds the War He's Been Searching For". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Mozart Group: the western ex-military personnel training Ukrainian recruits". the Guardian. 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ "The Mozart Group - Delivering critical capabilities to Ukrainian frontline units". 2019-09-09. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ "Ukraine war: West's modern weapons halt Russia's advance in Donbas". BBC News. 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ a b c "In Ukraine, the Mozart Group marches to the beat of its own drum". Le Monde.fr. 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
