Mozart Group

Mozart Group enables tax-exempt donations through its "alter ego" organisation Task Force Sunflower.

[5] Mozart Group is not directly involved in combat (other than self-defence),[2] its volunteers do not carry weapons unless needed,[5] 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.[2] Milburn has said that Mozart Group has no contact with and receives no support from the U.S. government,[8] but that he wishes there was more contact with the U.S. government[3] and state funding from Western countries.

[2] 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.

[3] Nonetheless, many Mozart employees were combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and drinking problems, posing a challenge for the company's management.

[5] Milburn has said the U.S. government was concerned that providing funding to Mozart Group might transform it into a private military contractor involved in the war.

[3] Mozart Group ceased operations in January 2023 after exhausting its funds; it had raised over a million dollars in donations by the time it went defunct.

Mozart Group's website suffered a denial-of-service attack shortly after Prigozhin's remarks which were amplified in Russian media.

[5] In December 2022, The National, a Middle East English-language news outlet based in Abu Dhabi, reported - citing an anonymous Western security source operating in Ukraine - that military training of Ukrainian troops conducted by Mozart Group was greatly contributing to Ukrainian military capabilities.

As a result, Mozart Group members found themselves on a Wagner PMC kill list, with Milburn designated as the prime target.

In its final months, it was faced with defections, infighting, financial issues and a legal dispute between the Mozart Group's two co-founders.

[12] Serious allegations, arose accusing Milburn of making derogatory comments about Ukraine’s leadership while “significantly intoxicated,” letting his dog urinate in a borrowed apartment, diverting company funds and other financial malfeasance.

[citation needed] In an announcement on Twitter, Milburn also claimed that the company's name and legal entity became a distraction from the group's core mission.

Milburn immediately began an attempt to revive the operation, leasing a new office in Kyiv and setting off on a fundraising drive.