Princess Anne Makes Surprise Visit to Ukraine to Honour Children Affected by War
Princess Anne made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Tuesday to honour children impacted by the war and reaffirm the UK’s support for Ukraine. The trip, kept secret for security reasons, came just two days after a deadly Russian airstrike killed four people in the capital. Buckingham Palace said the Princess Royal travelled to Ukraine “to highlight the traumatic experiences of children living on the frontline of the conflict.”
She met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska to discuss the UK's ongoing support for Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s invasion, and placed a toy bear at a Kharkiv memorial for over 650 children killed since the invasion began in February 2022.
Princess Anne also visited the Child Rights Protection Centre, which supports children who have been forcibly deported and their families, where she spoke to children who had been reunited with their families and the staff “working tirelessly” to bring more home. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Children’s Rights Commissioner over the alleged unlawful deportation of children, which Russia denies.
In Kyiv, the princess also met with female police and military officers, toured a rehab centre for injured veterans, and visited the Kherson Cultural Exhibition, which documents the liberation of the southern city from Russian control in late 2022. Princess Anne is now the second working royal to visit Ukraine since the war began, following Prince Harry’s unannounced visit to Kyiv with a team from his Invictus Games Foundation earlier this year.
