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The Mozart Group (U.S.)

image located by Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023

Introduction
Shield
Ukrainian Freedom Fund

See also:

Introduction

The Mozart Group was (source) a private military company (source) operating in Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine (source). The Mozart Group was composed of Western volunteers (mainly U.S. Marines) with military experience and provided military training, civilian evacuations and SAR (Search and Rescue) and humanitarian aid distribution. It is not directly involved in combat (other than self-defence) (source), its volunteers do not carry weapons (source: source) and it is compliant with the US Neutrality Acts which prohibit U.S. citizens from joining foreign militaries or launching wars against countries not at war with the U.S (source).

Right after the full-scale invasion of Russian Forces of Ukraine, on February 24, 2021, Andrew Milburn, a British-born retired U.S. Marine Colonel Deputy Commander of Special Operations Command Central, "traveled to Kyiv as a freelance journalist weeks after the Russian invasion in February, where he presented five stories for Task & Purpose, a military website" (source).

Later on, The Mozart Group was founded by him and Andrew Bain, also a former U.S. Marine Colonel who had been living in Ukraine since 1992, who became the CFO of the Group, when the group was founded in mid-March 2021 (source).

In mid-April, two weeks after his latest report "Milburn explained in an article for Newsweek (source) that his work at Tusk & Purpose seemed trivial at the outbreak of war, so he decided to organize a military training after people he knew from previous visits asked him to help the Ukrainian military.

With US military personnel largely out of the country and US diplomats leaving in the early days of the Russian invasion, Milburn attracted a great deal of media attention and was one of the few Americans on the ground with combat experience working with Ukrainians, willing to speak with journalists, and frequently interviewed on satellite channels." (source).

"Milburn co-founded the Mozart Group together with Andrew Bain, a businessman and fellow former Marine colonel who had been working in Ukraine in media and marketing for over 30 years. After the commencement of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Bain set up the Ukrainian Freedom Fund in 2014 (source) (official websites: https://ukrfreedomfund.org and https://www.theuff.org), a U.S. 501(c)(3) charitable organisation registered Wyoming-based LLC (Limited Liability Company) that procured equipment for the Ukrainian military with money collected through donations. Bain came to hold a 51% ownership stake in Mozart and act as CEO, while Milburn owned a 49% stake. (source). UFF received endorsements from National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, European Business Association, National Guard of Ukraine, US-Ukraine Business Council and EU-Ukraine Business Council."

After founding The Mozart Group, Milburn set up an office in Kyiv and began soliciting donations.[2] The group subsequently relocated from Kyiv to the Donbas.

The Mozart Group, LLC is a Wyoming registered company.

The name of the group was chosen as a witty reference and counterpoint to the Russian mercenary Wagner Group,[2][3] both groups thus being named for German-speaking composers.

As they describe themselves, "Our mission is to build sustainable capacity in the Ukraine military (source) that will enable it to evict Russian troops from Ukrainian soil while undermining Russia’s military and national resolve to continue the war. We do this through training, equipping, and advising Ukraine SOF (Special Operation Forces) and "Resistance units" (Territorial
Defence Forces).

A vital component of our mission is battlefield clearance (through EOD, Explosive ordnance disposal)— removing the tons of un-expended ordnance, mines and booby traps that litter the area previously occupied by Russian troops. Our goal is to enable the people of Ukraine to return to their homes and begin rebuilding their lives, free from threat. Additionally, we are expanding our activities to include comprehensive military information support operations designed to inform and influence frontline Russian troops of the realities of fighting an illegal war in Ukraine.

The Group conducts a continuous assessment of Ukrainian and Russian techniques, tactics and procedures to ensure that its support keeps pace with dynamic conditions in the field. (source)"

By August, 2022 Mozart had deployed three teams of former soldiers, two military training teams and one to get civilians off the front line (source). In November 2022, Intelligence Online reported that Mozart intends to transform into a conventional for-profit private military contractor, and expand its operations to other countries (the later claim being confirmed by Mozart's COO). In December 2022, Milburn expressed concern that Mozart Group may run short on funds in early 2023.

The current operation status of the group is inactive due mainly to lack of funds. Additionally, there is a current lawsuit filed on January 10, 2023 by one of its shareholders and former CFO, against its founder accusing him of violating ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) regulations as well as other misconducts like diverting funds to other existing organizations such as Task Force Sunflower, Inc. (TFS), a Florida based corporation (which is the actual Non profit and 501(c)(3) charitable organization), claiming to be an NGO and Safehouse Global, an organization operated by Reel Holdings, LLC of Jackson, Wyoming which focuses on cryptocurrency. This was followed by counter accusations in social media by the accused.

Milburn has expressed that the end of operations was January 31, 2023 althugh the effort continues, perhaps under a new organization. Moreover, there's at least one report that suggests that Bain may have tried to sell off his stake in the company as well as other rather dubious dealings. Furthermore, "although it’s normal for a startup to fall out of a dispute, it doesn’t often happen in an active war zone. Interesting information suggests that there are efforts to profit from Mozart’s high-profile business in Ukraine by transforming it into a private military company with global aspirations."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_Group

The flag is a dark olive green horizontal background with the logo in the middle inside a shield an the name above the logo, based on the shoulder patch insignia.

For additional information go to The Mozart Grop (official website): https://www.themozartgroup.com

Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023

Shield

image located by Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023

The logo resembles a reverse trident (source) which is Ukraine's coat of arms.

Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023

Ukrainian Freedom Fund

image located by Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023
from https://www.facebook.com/ukrfreedomfund

Logo

image located by Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023
from https://www.facebook.com/ukrfreedomfund

Former flag

image located by Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023
from https://www.facebook.com/ukrfreedomfund

Logo

image located by Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023
from https://www.facebook.com/ukrfreedomfund

Both the former and the current flags are in use.
Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023

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