Who was Jimmy Hill? American citizen killed in Ukraine while waiting in bread line

Jimmy Hill, an American citizen who was taking care of his ailing Ukrainian partner at a hospital in Chernihiv, was killed on Thursday during a Russian shelling in the city amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.

His sister Cheryl Hill Gordon confirmed the news of his demise on Facebook. She mentioned that her brother was waiting in a bread line with several other civilians when they were gunned down by military snipers:

Another of his sisters, Katya Hill, said CNN that her brother was killed after he went out to search for food amid rising political tensions in the city:

“As things were deteriorating in the city and the food at the hospital, my brother was the one that was going out to the store to bring back what food he could find.”

Katya also shared that her brother was in Ukraine amid the ongoing situation to support his partner during her treatment for multiple sclerosis:

“He was not going to leave Ira's side in her condition. Jim was in Ukraine this time because he had gotten medicine from the United States and had found a doctor in Chernihiv that would treat her.”

The news of Hill’s death was further announced by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, on Telegram.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv took to Twitter to share that at least 10 people standing in the Chernihiv bread line were killed during the attack.

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Jimmy Hill worked as a teacher for 25 years

Jimmy Hill was an American educator (Image via Jimmy Hill/Facebook)

Jimmy Hill was a 67-year-old American educator who was recently killed during a Russian shelling in Ukraine. According to The New York Post, he has been working as a teacher for the past 25 years.

As per his Facebook information, Hill previously served as the Associate Professor in the Foreign Language and Philology Departments at the University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice.

He worked as a guest lecturer at MCI Management Center Innsbruck as well as a lecturer at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Hill’s longtime friend Karin Moseley told CNN that he started dating Irina nearly 13 years ago and often traveled to Ukraine to visit his partner.

Meanwhile, his sister Cheryl Hill Gordon told The New York Post that Irina was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis about eight years ago, prompting Hill to search for suitable medical help.

She shared that her brother found a doctor in a Chernihiv hospital who “knew much more about MS than other doctors in the area,” after two years of searching. Hill admitted his partner to the hospital in January and decided to stay when the “war broke out.”

Gordon also noted that Hill attempted to get Irina out of the city but failed to move her due to her poor health condition:

“Irina was in poor condition. She would have needed an ambulance to get her out and there was no way to get her out. The hospital was running out of food, so he went out to food and that’s how he was killed.”

The publication also reported that Hill had to occasionally return to the U.S. due to Ukrainian visa requirements. It was also mentioned that he owned a property in Idaho near Yellowstone National Park and his brother rented out the home as an Airbnb whenever Hill was not present at the venue.

Prior to his death, Jimmy Hill provided live updates about the harrowing situation in Ukraine from the frontlines on his Facebook. One of his final posts read:

“Intense bombing! Still alive. Limited food. Room very cold. Ira in intensive care.”

Hill’s sister Katya told CNN that her brother was “the helper that people find in a crisis.” She shared that he left Chernihiv Hospital to bring food for his partner and her mother and often returned with cookies for the nurses and chocolates for anyone who needed encouragement.

Katya also revealed that the embassy is yet to provide details about her brother’s death and that his body is yet to be discovered. Hill is survived by his son Kai Troje Hill, his sisters Katya and Cheryl, and a brother, among other close friends and family members.