Russia Accuses Former Iowa Army National Guardsman of Terrorism

A Former Iowa Army National Guardsman is facing some serious charges overseas.

According to the Des Moines Register, Carroll native Ryan O’Leary is the subject of a criminal case launched by Russia’s Investigative Committee into for his alleged involvement in Ukraine’s military operation in the Kursk Region. He is accused of terrorism, being a mercenary, and supplying Ukranian forces with automatic weapons, and explosives.

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O'Leary, who left the Iowa Guard as a corporal in 2015, spent most of 2023 fighting just south of the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region. He has talked about his experiences in a number of YouTube videos.

According to reports, O'Leary is being investigated in absentia while the committee is trying to establish his current location.

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