A Boise veteran has been killed while on the front lines in eastern Ukraine.
Retired U.S. Army First Class Sargent Nick Maimer was a twenty-year military veteran and a Borah High graduate.
After retiring from the army in 2018, Maimer, went to Ukraine last spring and began training civilian volunteers how to defend their homeland's border announcing his mission in a video on his Facebook page.
Russia has intensified artillery in the city of Bakhmut in recent days; it appears Maimer died in that shelling.
Idaho Senator Jim Risch met with Maimer when Risch traveled to Ukraine a year ago.
Risch told Idaho News Six he is saddened to learn of the Idahoan's death and released the following statement.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of reports that Nick Maimer was killed in Ukraine. I met with him last summer in Kyiv and remember he had a clear understanding that the Ukrainians are fighting today for what our founding fathers fought for in 1776. In our conversation, it was clear Nick was exceptionally well trained for, and sober about, the realities of the war in Ukraine. He talked about helping evaluate foreign volunteers for Ukraine but he also knew his particular training could help, and he made the choice to do what he thought was right. May he rest in peace.”
Maimer's death marks at least the ninth American killed since the Russian invasion started in February 2022.
