Months before Russian troops attacked Ukraine, American Jimmy Hill went there to be with his Ukranian partner, Ira, who has multiple sclerosis. When war broke out, Hill stayed, despite the deteriorating conditions in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv.
"He was not going to leave Ira's side in her condition," Hill's sister Katya told CNN. "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."
Hill was among dozens of civilians killed by the Russian onslaught Thursday in Chernihiv.
Ukrainian police said he died during artillery fire. His sister told CNN the family didn't get specifics about his death from the US Embassy.
Chernihiv, to the northeast of Kyiv and close to the Russian border, has seen some of the most intense shelling from Russian forces since the war began more than three weeks ago.
Hill often traveled to Ukraine yearly to visit his partner, according to his longtime friend Karin Moseley. They had been together for around 13 years, she told CNN.
His Facebook posts throughout March chronicled the worsening situation in Chernihiv, detailing air raid sirens, daily explosions and an "orange sky over the city" amid fires. His final entry read: "Bombing has intensified noway (sic) out."
A school in the Czech Republic where Hill taught posted a statement on Facebook expressing their loss.
“Jimmy was a passionate teacher in our Summer School on Crime, Law and Psychology program since 2014 and was loved by the students from all over the world. We will miss Jimmy very much," the Prague Summer Schools said in the post.
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