Prince Harry pays surprise visit to war victims in Ukraine

The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Thursday, where he met with war victims at a rehabilitation clinic in the western city of Lviv.

According to a spokesperson, Prince Harry visited the Superhumans Center, a medical facility that provides free care for wounded military personnel and civilians. 

Accompanied by representatives from the Invictus Games Foundation, including four veterans who had undergone similar rehabilitation, Prince Harry spent time speaking with patients and staff at the clinic.

Lviv, though located away from the frontlines, has frequently come under Russian missile attacks. 

The visit was kept under wraps and only made public after the prince had safely left the country.

Prince Harry, a former British Army officer who served for a decade, founded the Invictus Games in 2014 to support the recovery of wounded veterans through international sports competitions. 

According to the BBC, a spokesperson explained that the purpose of Thursday’s visit was “to observe the support and rehabilitation services being provided in a country actively experiencing war.”

The prince had been invited to Ukraine by Olga Rudneva, the chief executive of Superhumans Center, during the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025. 

While at the clinic, he also held talks with Ukraine’s Minister of Veterans Affairs, Natalia Kalmykova. The facility offers psychological support, prosthetics, and reconstructive surgery at no cost to its patients.

Rob Owen, chief executive of the Invictus Games Foundation, said Ukraine has been “a vital part” of the Invictus community since it joined the Toronto games in 2017. 

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“This visit to the Superhumans charity in Ukraine underscores the Invictus Games Foundation’s broader commitment to supporting recovery and rehabilitation for wounded injured and sick service personnel and veterans, even in the most challenging environments,” he said.

The most recent Invictus Games in Vancouver brought together over 500 athletes from 23 countries, with Birmingham set to host the next event in 2027.

The visit to Ukraine came shortly after Prince Harry appeared in London for a Court of Appeal hearing over his security arrangements in the UK. 

He is the second member of the royal family to travel to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. 

The Duchess of Edinburgh previously visited Kyiv, while earlier this year King Charles welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Sandringham in Norfolk. The Prince of Wales also met with Ukrainian refugees during his visit to Estonia last month.

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