American volunteer dies in June 17 Kyiv strike: What we know about Fred Grandy

According to his sister, Grandy was deeply affected by the shifting US stance on supporting Ukraine and decided to take action on his own. He arrived in Kyiv just a few days before his birthday and began volunteering by clearing rubble following Russian strikes.

His life was cut short during one of the largest attacks on the Ukrainian capital. According to Ukrainian authorities, the American died from shrapnel wounds.

Fred Grandy is the first American civilian to be killed in an airstrike on Kyiv. He was an artist who made wooden signs, decorative metal flowers, worked as a bartender and handyman, and was involved in charity work. After selling his house in Virginia in the fall of 2024, he traveled across Europe and eventually made his way to Ukraine.

"Then he saw how hard they fought to save their country, or are fighting still. It was just hard to understand walking away, you know? And he just believed that people need a hand up," his sister recalled.

According to the United Nations, as of June 2025, the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine has exceeded 13,300. The real figures may be significantly higher.

Earlier, we reported that on the night of June 17, Russia launched an attack on Kyiv using combat drones. As a result of Shahed drones and falling debris, damage was recorded in residential buildings across 12 locations in six city districts.

In the Solomianskyi district of Kyiv, a high-rise apartment building was severely damaged by a ballistic missile strike—the blast tore through the structure from the ninth to the first floor. Twenty-three people were killed in the building. The search and rescue operation lasted over 39 hours.

More than 400 State Emergency Service rescuers and over 200 units of equipment were involved in the aftermath response.