UMD Grad Calls Eveleth-Native Killed in Ukraine ‘helpful guy, open-minded person’

Hill was staying in Ukraine to support his partner who was suffering from multiple sclerosis.

MINNESOTA- We’re learning more about the Eveleth native killed waiting in line for bread in Ukraine as his friend shares some of her memories.

Jimmy Hill was identified Thursday as one of several people killed when Russian forces opened fire on civilians in Chernihiv.

Hill was staying in Ukraine to support his partner who was suffering from multiple sclerosis.

Sasha Kniazieva, a UMD Grad, met hill in Ukraine back in 2007 when he was teaching English in the Peace Corps, and she was still learning English.

She said Hill immediately invited her to an English-speaking club, while she helped him meet more friends in the country.

“A really nice guy a really helpful guy like an open-minded person and he was like really friendly. Basically, he was the first American who really inspired me to go to the U.S. and I went to Minnesota to study for like I got my 2nd master’s degree in Minnesota and Jimmy was basically like the gateway to this American world and American culture,” said Kniazieva.

We’ll hear more from Sasha, and have more about Jimmy as well, Sunday on fox 21 local news at 9.