WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department is aware that Trevor Reed, a former U.S. marine who was detained in Russia and then freed in a prisoner swap in April 2022, was injured while fighting in Ukraine, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Tuesday.

       "Mr. Reed was not engaged in any activities on behalf of the US government," Patel told reporters, adding that he was transported with the help of an NGO to Germany for medical care.

       The United States has repeatedly warned Americans not to travel to Ukraine or participate in the fighting.

       (Reporting by Simon Lewis, Jasper Ward and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Chris Reese)