Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, made a surprise visit to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, to support Ukrainian soldiers on Friday after his earlier visit to Britain during the week to unite with his father, King Charles III, for their first meeting in 19 months.
Harry visited Kyiv at the invitation of the Ukrainian government, focusing on the recovery of military personnel seriously injured in the three-year war with Russia.
He met with war veterans, held discussions with Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko, and visited the Superhumans Centre, an orthopaedic clinic in Lviv that treats and rehabilitates wounded military personnel and civilians.
Harry’s visit is part of his work with the Invictus Games Foundation, which supports wounded veterans through sports rehabilitation programs.
He aims to expand support to reach every region of Ukraine.
A study in June by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimated that Ukraine has sustained nearly 400,000 casualties since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, with between 60,000 and 100,000 deaths.
Russia was forecast to hit the 1 million casualty mark this summer, said the study.
During the visit, Harry emphasised the importance of humanitarian approaches and humanising the people involved in the war, stressing that collective efforts can make a meaningful impact on the recovery process.
“We cannot stop the war, but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process,” Harry told The Guardian.
Meanwhile, in 2014, Harry founded the Invictus Games – an international sporting competition for wounded veterans and members of the military. He has also met with wounded veterans in other countries, including during a tour of Nigeria last year.
On Wednesday, while he was in Britain, his office said his foundation would donate $500,000 to support children from Gaza and Ukraine, Reuters reported.
This visit comes after Harry’s private tea with King Charles, their first meeting in 19 months, which lasted 54 minutes. Harry described the King as “great”.
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