Reports emerged on Wednesday from local media that a U.S. Embassy attaché was found dead in the Hilton Hotel in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. There has been no mention of the staff member’s name. Strana UA [1], an online newspaper, cited law enforcement sources for the information they released; the body of the official was discovered on Tuesday. New Voice [2], a Ukrainian news outlet, also made the same report, citing anonymous sources.
Newsweek [3] was unable to verify these reports, they contacted the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv for comment.
One of the sources stated that “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,” but Strana UA offered no additional information.
According to New Voice, the door to the hotel room was closed from the inside, and there were no indications of bodily harm. No post-mortem examination has been conducted, and the body has since been taken by the U.S. Embassy. The media outlet reported that the attaché had high cholesterol levels, and it appears to be the apparent cause of death.
According to Newsweek, Foreign Policy magazine had reported in March that plans were underway for the U.S. State Department to deploy between 30 to 40 diplomats to the American embassy in Kyiv to allow officials such as Ambassador Bridget Brink more flexibility to travel the region. The Kyiv embassy is overstretched and understaffed, with up to 200 U.S. diplomats and military personnel there will be strained with the ongoing war.
Due to the ongoing war in the region, the U.S. State Department cautions American citizens and advises them not to travel to Ukraine. The Department’s most recent travel advisory, updated on May 22, 2023, continued to stress exercising caution due to the potential for military attacks, crime, and civil unrest. It further stated that the security situation remains volatile and unpredictable, and recent reports suggest the targeting of U.S. citizens in the region.
