Angelina Jolie in Ukraine: Inside her mission to Kherson and Mykolaiv
Photo: Angelina Jolie (Getty Images)
Hollywood actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie visited Mykolaiv and Kherson with the international charity organization Legacy of War Foundation, according to Instagram of the organization.
This is the first official press release about the actress’s visit since several media outlets reported yesterday that Jolie had traveled to southern Ukraine.
The Hollywood actress, model, and director met with local doctors, families, and volunteers who continue their daily lives under the constant threat of shelling and mines.
Jolie saw, in some areas, protective nets stretched over the roads to provide at least some safety from drone attacks.
"In response to the constant threat, medical care and education have moved into reinforced underground spaces, to enable treatment and learning to continue with a greater degree of protection," the press release states.
The actress spent time observing this work, a reminder of the cost of war and the resilience of those who continue to endure it.
"The people of Mykolaiv and Kherson live with danger every day, but they refuse to give in. At time when governments around the world are turning their backs on the protection of civilians, their strength, and their support for each other is humbling. After nearly three years of conflict, exhaustion is visible, yet so too is determination. Families want safety, peace, and the chance to rebuild their lives," the organization quoted Jolie as saying.
Angelina Jolie in Ukraine
On November 5, the actress made an unexpected visit to Kherson, pleasantly surprising Ukrainians. Photos of Jolie wearing a plate carrier quickly spread across social media.
During the trip, she visited medical facilities, spoke with doctors and mothers in the maternity ward, and paid special attention to children in the hospital.
Yaroslav Shanko, Head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, presented the actress with a commemorative coin "Kherson."
Politico, citing its sources, reported that the Hollywood star crossed the Ukrainian border on foot—allegedly without informing any Ukrainian officials.
There were also some amusing incidents. Social media users spread rumors that one of Jolie's bodyguards had been detained in the Mykolaiv region and taken to a military recruitment center. As a result, the star reportedly had to go there herself to bring him back.
Later, military officials confirmed the actress's visit to the recruitment center but explained that she had simply stopped there to use the restroom.
Not her first visit to Ukraine during the war
This was not the Hollywood star's first trip to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. In April 2022, Jolie visited the Lviv region, where she met with children, volunteers, and Ukrainians affected by the war on her own initiative.
She visited a hospital treating people injured in the missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station and also spoke with displaced persons, including passengers of an evacuation train from Pokrovsk.
