Prince Harry has made a surprise trip to Kyiv, where he promised to do “everything possible” to help people who have suffered life-changing injuries during the war.
The Duke of Sussex arrived in the Ukrainian capital by train on Friday morning. His visit was organised by Superhumans, a charity that provides prosthetic limbs and rehabilitation for those wounded in the conflict.
It is Harry’s first visit to Kyiv, although he toured a Superhumans centre in Lviv earlier this year.
Helping the Wounded
Speaking ahead of the trip, Harry told The Guardian: “We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process. We can continue to humanise the people involved in this war and what they are going through.”
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians have lost limbs. Ukraine does not publish exact casualty figures, but charities say the number of amputations is now in the tens of thousands.
Invictus Games Link
Harry is travelling with members of his Invictus Games Foundation. The Games, which he launched in 2014, give wounded veterans from around the world the chance to compete in sport.
Ukraine has been part of the competition throughout the war. In 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky gave special permission for a team to travel abroad just months after the invasion began. At the time, Harry told competitors that the world was “united” with Ukraine.
Support for Children
His visit comes only days after his Archewell Foundation announced a $500,000 (£369,000) donation to help children affected by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
The money will support World Health Organization medical evacuations and help develop prosthetics for young people who have lost limbs.
Royal Family’s Role
Harry is not the only member of the Royal Family to show support for Ukraine. King Charles hosted President Zelensky at Sandringham earlier this year and has praised Ukrainians for their courage against “indescribable aggression.”
Prince William visited Estonia in March, meeting refugees from Ukraine and describing their resilience as “amazing.”
A Busy Schedule
Harry’s timetable in Kyiv has not been made public, but he is expected to announce more rehabilitation initiatives before leaving. His trip comes just two days after he met his father, King Charles, in London — their first face-to-face meeting in more than a year.
Key Point
Prince Harry’s visit underlines his long-standing commitment to helping wounded veterans. By working with charities such as Superhumans and through the Invictus Games, he is seeking to provide practical support for Ukrainians whose lives have been devastated by the war.
