Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

American embassy worker killed while jogging in Ukraine

The country is investigating the woman's death as an intentional murder

Justin Vallejo
New York
Wednesday 30 September 2020 16:54 EDT
Comments
Ukraine authorities investigate the scene where a US Embassy worker was found near train tracks in Kiev's Nyvky Park
Ukraine authorities investigate the scene where a US Embassy worker was found near train tracks in Kiev's Nyvky Park (Ukraine Ministry of Internal Affairs' spokesman Artem Shevchenko / Facebook)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An American working at the US embassy in Ukraine was killed while jogging in Kiev in what the country is investigating as an "intentional murder".

The woman, believed to be the wife of a US foreign service officer, died in hospital after being found unconscious from a head injury by railway tracks near the city's Nyvky Park, according to Kiev Police.

The US Embassy in Kiev confirmed the death in an online statement, saying they were heartbroken to report the death of a member of the embassy community.

"Officials from US Embassy Kyiv are currently working with authorities to determine the circumstances of the death," the statement said.

Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs' spokesman Artem Shevchenko said in a statement that the death is being investigated as premeditated murder.  

But he added that an accident had not been ruled out, as deaths of pedestrians as a result of being hit by trains were not uncommon near the city's railways.

Ukraine police spokeswoman Anna Zubereva said they were searching for a male suspect aged in his 30s or 40s, between 6' 2" and 6' 5" tall, dressed in black shorts, dark blue sneakers and a T-shirt with dark hair trimmed short on the sides.

Ms Zubereva said the victim, in running gear with headphones, was found with identity documents of a co-worker at the US Embassy sharing the same name.

Quoting a US source, the woman was said to be the wife of an American foreign service officer and had a non-diplomatic job in the embassy, according to The Guardian.

Her body has been sent to a forensic examiner to determine the cause of death, while police were interviewing witnesses who found her unconscious in the wooded area of the 102 special train line.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in