Britain’s Prince Harry has arrived in Ukraine for a surprise visit in support of wounded service members.
This is the second time Harry has visited Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
“We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process,” Harry told the Guardian newspaper while on an overnight train to Kyiv.
Harry, a British Army veteran, is the founder of the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style event designed to inspire military veterans around the world as they work to overcome battlefield injuries.
Ukraine is bidding to host the games in 2029.
The prince’s appearance in Ukraine follows a four-day trip to the UK, where he met his father, King Charles III, for the first time in 19 months.
The meeting was seen as a first step in repairing frigid relations between Harry and other members of the royal family, which deteriorated after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, gave up royal duties and moved to California in 2020.
In a BBC interview in May, Prince Harry expressed his desire for “reconciliation” with the royal family.
Harry and his father last met in February 2024, when the prince flew to London after receiving news that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.
They spent about 45 minutes together before the king flew to his Sandringham country estate to recuperate from his treatment.
King Charles has been a public supporter of Ukraine, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he was in London in June.
Prince Harry’s last trip to Ukraine included a visit to the Superhumans Centre, an orthopaedic clinic in Lviv that treats wounded military personnel and civilians.
The centre provides prosthetic limbs, reconstructive surgery and psychological help free of charge.
Harry’s visit on Friday came as Russia escalated its war against Ukraine.
Less than a week ago Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since its all-out invasion began more than three years ago — an attack in which the main Ukrainian government building was hit.
It also came just days after Russian drones entered the airspace of NATO member Poland, where Harry travelled through to reach Ukraine.
AP
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.abc.net.au ’
