Prince Harry Visits Ukraine Amid Escalating War, Offers Support for Wounded Service Members and Plans for Invictus Games 2029
In Kyiv, Ukraine, Prince Harry made a surprise visit on Friday to offer support for wounded service members. His representatives confirmed his presence in the capital without disclosing details of his itinerary due to security concerns.
This marks the second time Prince Harry has visited Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, having previously traveled to Lviv in April. During a journey on an overnight train to Kyiv, he shared with The Guardian newspaper his sentiment that although they cannot halt the war, efforts should be made to aid the recovery process.
As a British Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, Harry is the founder of the Invictus Games – a Paralympic-style event designed to motivate military veterans worldwide as they rehabilitate from battlefield injuries. Ukraine is bidding to host these games in 2029.
Recently, The Archewell Foundation, established by Harry and his wife Meghan, announced a donation of $500,000 towards projects assisting injured children from Gaza and Ukraine. This funding will contribute to medical evacuations supported by the World Health Organization and initiatives developing advanced prosthetics for severely wounded young people.
During his visit, Harry is scheduled to tour the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, interact with 200 veterans, and meet Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. His trip coincides with a diplomatic mission by British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who announced new UK sanctions targeting Russia’s oil revenues and military supplies.
Cooper explained that this visit represents a display of unity with the Ukrainian people amidst their escalated conflict with Russia – including an estimated 6,500 drones and missiles launched in July, a tenfold increase compared to a year ago.
Following his trip to Ukraine, Prince Harry returned to the UK for a four-day visit during which he met King Charles III for the first time since early 2021. This encounter was seen as a positive step towards mending strained relations between Harry and other royal family members, which had been strained following Harry and his wife’s decision to relinquish their royal duties and move to California in 2020.
Prince Harry last visited Ukraine and paid a visit to the Superhumans Center, an orthopedic clinic in Lviv that offers free prosthetic limbs, reconstructive surgery, and psychological help to wounded military personnel and civilians. On Friday, his appearance comes as Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine.
Less than a week has passed since Russia launched one of its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion over three years ago, including strikes on the main Ukrainian government building. Additionally, multiple Russian drones recently penetrated the airspace of NATO member Poland – the same country through which Harry traveled to reach Ukraine.