American embassy worker killed while jogging in Ukraine
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.
We are heartbroken to report the death of an American member of the U.S. Embassy Kyiv community. Officials from U.S. Embassy Kyiv are currently working with authorities to determine the circumstances of the death.
— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) September 30, 2020
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.
