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By Isabel van Brugen
News Reporter
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A U.S. Embassy staffer has been found dead in Ukraine's capital, according to local media.
The body of the unnamed embassy attaché was found Tuesday at Kyiv's Hilton Hotel, online newspaper Strana UA reported Wednesday, citing law enforcement sources.
Ukrainian news outlet New Voice (NV), citing unnamed sources, also reported that the attaché's body was found at the city's Hilton Hotel on Tuesday.
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U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller later confirmed the death, saying during a Wednesday press conference that the individual was a U.S. government employee "who was under chief of mission authority" at the embassy in Kyiv.
"I hate to even bring this up—but I know sometimes conspiracies theories spin out of control—that it is our understanding that he died of natural causes, and there's no sign of foul play," Miller said.
The Context
News of the death comes more than two years into Russia's war with Ukraine. Since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, 2022, the U.S. has provided the country with about $51.2 billion in military aid.
What We Know
"Yesterday at about 11:00 a.m. the body of an attaché of the U.S. Embassy was found in a hotel room. No signs of violence were found on the body. The man arrived in Ukraine on June 15," one source said, Strana UA reported.
"According to medical data provided by the U.S. Embassy, the man suffered from high cholesterol," a source added, according to the report.
Strana offered no further details.
NV said that there were no signs of bodily injury and that the hotel room's door was closed from the inside.
"No autopsy was performed—the body was taken by the U.S. Embassy. It is known that the man had high cholesterol levels," NV reported.
In March, four unnamed sources told Foreign Policy magazine that the U.S. State Department was planning to deploy as many as 30 to 40 diplomats to the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv to give officials, including Ambassador Bridget Brink, more flexibility to travel around the region.
...
The magazine said approximately 100 to 200 U.S. diplomats and military personnel were at the embassy, which has been described as overstretched and understaffed amid the war.
The U.S. State Department currently advises American citizens to not travel to Ukraine because of the ongoing war and "active armed conflict."
"Those choosing to remain in Ukraine should exercise caution due to the potential for military attacks, crime, civil unrest, and consult the Department's latest security alerts," the department said in its latest travel advisory, updated on May 22, 2023.
"The security situation in Ukraine remains unpredictable," it continued. "There are continued reports of Russian forces and their proxies singling out U.S. citizens in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine for detention, interrogation, or harassment because of their nationality."
Update 6/26/24, 10:30 a.m. ET: This story was updated with more information and background.
Update 6/26/24, 2:48 p.m. ET: This story was updated to include comments made by U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Update 6/27/24, 9:15 p.m. ET: This story was updated with a clarification of U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller's comment.
Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.
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