US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed on Thursday the death of a US citizen in Ukraine, but did not provide further details. A State Department spokesman said death occurred on March 17.
Blinken made the announcement at a briefing on Thursday.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the family on their loss,” a State Department spokesman said. “Out of respect for the family at this difficult time, we have no further comment.”
Earlier Thursday, a Ukrainian official said an American had been killed in the country.
Thursday marked three weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the latest U.S. and British intelligence reports suggest that Russia’s military offensive against major cities has stalled.
But in Chernigov, southeast of Kharkov, Russian rocket and artillery strikes have been shelling the area for weeks. The Ukrainian Emergency Situations Service said on Thursday that the hostel was shelled, killing a mother, father and their three children, including three-year-old twins.
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows burning buildings in a residential area in the northeast of Chernihiv, Ukraine on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Maxar Technologies via AP
Also Thursday, 21 people were killed by Russian artillery that destroyed a school and community center in Merefa near Kharkiv, officials said.
The Kharkiv region, like most other large population centers in eastern Ukraine, has come under heavy bombardment as Russian forces try to advance in the area.
President Biden on Wednesday called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” hours after Mr. Biden authorized an additional $800 million in military aid direct from the United States to Ukraine, including 9,000 Javelin man-portable missiles, 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems. and over 20 million rounds.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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