MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. US national Pete Reed, whose death in Artyomovsk (Bakhmut in Ukraine) was previously reported by a number of US media outlets, was killed due to friendly fire, Wagner PMC founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said.

Answering a question as to whether the PMC was involved in the US national’s death, Prigozhin noted that it was much easier to strike Reed’s location from Ukrainian positions.

"I can say with certainty that Peter Reed was killed by friendly fire. […] Accusations against the Wagner PMC are groundless," Prigozhin said, according to his press office’s Telegram channel.

Prigozhin also noted that Wagner’s positions in Artyomovsk are located at a significant distance from the location where Reed was killed.

"Peter Reed died at the crossing on Polevaya Street and the 1st Pushkinsky Alley. If you mark this point on a map, you will see that it was at least 5 kilometers to Wagner’s positions, with high-rise buildings all around," he commented, providing corresponding photos and a map.

"Wagner PMC has no information as to what means were used to eliminate Peter Reed. We also have no information on the presence of foreign volunteers in Bakhmut. Usually, in hostile conditions, such volunteers make it clear to the media what their [outfit] colors are, and stick to these rules," the founder concluded.

According to Fox News, Reed previously served in the US Marine Corps, in Afghanistan, in particular.

His death was reported last week by Global Response Medicine, founded by Reed himself. The organization claims that Reed was a volunteer physician. The statement also admits that Reed was recently working with another organization - Global Outreach Doctors. The US Department of State confirmed that a US citizen had died in Ukraine, without specifying the individual’s name, circumstances surrounding his death and in what capacity the person in question was present in Ukraine.