The father of a veteran fighting in Ukraine says his son was killed by a mortar shell explosion last month.
Howard F. Jones Jr. posted on Facebook that his son, Jeffrey Judd Jones, 48, was killed in Bakhmut on July 31. Jeffrey Judd Jones grew up in Bowdoinham, according to WMTW, but most recently lived in Georgia. He had been fighting for the Ukrainian cause on the day he was killed, Howard Jones said. He received a message from his son earlier that day.
“We were supposed to have a couple days rest, but another company is [too] afraid to go so we are heading back out tonight in their place,” Jeffrey Judd wrote. “Will be another 3-5 days.”
Instead, Howard Jones said he was contacted later that day by the U.S. Embassy in Kiev saying his son had been killed in action. An email he received from the embassy stated Jeffrey Jones was killed by a mortar shell explosion, however more details were not immediately available, according to Howard Jones.
“Jeff frequently vacationed and helped me at the family cottage in Harpswell,” Howard Jones wrote. “God bless Jeff. May he rest in peace. He died supporting the cause he deeply believed in.”
Howard Jones could not immediately be reached by the Bangor Daily News for comment.
Jeffrey Judd Jones had previously served in the U.S. Army, according to CNN. In 2022, he was injured last year in an artillery strike and was hospitalized for several days, Howard Jones told CNN, but returned to Ukraine following his recovery.
“I suspect that Jeff’s squad not only volunteered for a mission other squads were too afraid to do, but Jeff’s was in the lead of the squad taking the most risk,” Howard Jones wrote. “Others have survived as a result of Jeff’s sacrifice.”
The U.S. State Department confirmed to CNN that at least three Americans died in Ukraine between July 29 and July 31.