What to know before trying to be a foreign fighter in Ukraine
OAKLAND, Calif. - The images from Ukraine of Russian attacks and Ukrainian civilians suffering are prompting some foreign fighters to volunteer their skills and join Ukraine's side.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that 16,000 foreign fighters have arrived in Ukraine from other countries according to media reports in Ukraine.
Some Americans say they are considering lending their support too.
"I'm considering going," said Aaron De Sal, a U.S.Coast Guard veteran.
"I have a lot of search and rescue experience and I was seeing pictures of them trying to search for people through rubble and I thought they could use a hand," said De Sal.
De Sal says a friend sent him a text message with a link to a news article.
"It was sent to me by a friend in a text message. I clicked on the article; the article had a link to the application. The application was a pdf. It was one page," said De Sal, who added that he had some concerns about the request.
'The email address was a Gmail. It wants pictures of my passport and other personal information. So, I just wanted to make sure I'm sending that personal information someplace safe and not putting it in the hands of someone who doesn't have the intention of gathering helping hands," said De Sal.
The desire to help Ukrainians is deep for many people in NATO countries who want to do something.
The U.S. has not formally entered the war, however, and law experts say that means Americans going to Ukraine aren't guaranteed protection as US citizens.
"So, if you're a combatant, which means you're a uniform member of an armed force, then that means you actually have certain rights. It means you could shoot at the other side, under international law, and then if you're captured, you're treated as a POW," said Allen Weiner, director of the Stanford Program in International and Comparative Law.
He says Americans not in uniform could be captured and prosecuted by Russia for crimes.
"Civilians don't have the right to wage war, and it means that they do take up arms. They can be captured, and they can basically be prosecuted for, attempted murder," said Weiner.
Weiner says Americans who act alone likely won't violate the Neutrality Act measures, but groups of Americans heading to Ukraine to fight could jeopardize US policy.
"The Justice Department has said as an individual goes off to fight for a cause he believes in that doesn't violate the neutrality acts. What would really cause a problem if there were organized efforts to, I think the language of the statute is to launch an expedition from the United States. So, if we put together an organized group and that group left from the United States to fight in a war with a country that the United States is at peace with, and of course, we are technically at peace with Russia, that could also...violate the neutrality acts."
Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com and follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU or Facebook @NewsJana or ktvu.com.