He would not need a visa according to this Consulate General of Ukraine website. Probably so for Russia, JM was from Ukraine.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]According to the decrees of the President of Ukraine VISA-FREE REGIME has been established for citizens of the following countries:
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]United States of America[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
Citizens of the above-mentioned countries do not need visas to enter Ukraine or transit through its territory for the period of time of up to 90 days with a valid travel passport.
http://www.ukrconsul.org/visa/Ukraine Drops Visa Requirement For US Citizens.htm