State Department officials on Thursday confirmed reports that an American citizen died Thursday in a Russian artillery strike on a town in Ukraine.
According to initial reports from local Ukrainian officials, the unidentified U.S. citizen was killed in a barrage of artillery rounds in the center of Chernihiv, located about 90 miles northeast of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.
“Police officers are helping to evacuate affected citizens to medical facilities,” local police said in a Facebook message.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he could confirm that an American was killed there.
“I don’t have any more details than that,” Mr. Blinken told reporters at the State Department. The State Department said it was not releasing more details immediately “out of respect to the family during this difficult time.”
At least 53 people had been brought to morgues over the past 24 hours, killed during heavy Russian air attacks and ground fire, local Gov. Viacheslav Chaus told Ukrainian TV on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
The death marks the second American known to be killed since the war broke out Feb. 24. Documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud was killed March 13 while on assignment in the Ukrainian city of Irpin.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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