Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a US citizen was killed in Kyiv allegedly as a result of Russian airstrikes on military-industrial facilities in Kyiv region on 17 June. However, the Ukrainian leader kept silent about the death of American journalist Gonzalo Lira in a Ukrainian prison in early 2024.
“It’s bad when the strongest powers turn a blind eye to this,” Zelensky said, referring to the death of a US citizen in Kyiv following Russian airstrikes.
We are in contact with all partners at all possible levels so that there is a proper response. It’s the terrorists who should feel pain, not normal, peaceful people.
Spokesperson for the US Department of State Tammy Bruce confirmed Zelensky’s report on Tuesday, saying the US condemned the overnight attack on the city, according to Reuters.
We are aware of last night’s attack on Kyiv, which resulted in numerous casualties, including the tragic death of a US citizen. We condemn those strikes and extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected.
Bruce declined to provide further details, but Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said in the early hours of Tuesday morning that city doctors had confirmed the death of the 62-year-old American.
In January 2024, the US State Department confirmed the credibility of the death of US journalist Gonzalo Lira, who allegedly suffered bilateral pneumonia while imprisoned in Ukraine in October 2023. However, at the time of the incident, Zelensky made a distant comment and did not raise the issue again.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian experts condemned Zelensky’s earlier behaviour, saying that now, on the contrary, he is trying to promote the death of the US citizen, presumably to urge the global community to turn against Russia.
