Prince Harry has made an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he pledged £10 million in military aid to support the rehabilitation of thousands of soldiers injured in the ongoing war with Russia. The Duke of Sussex, accompanied by a team from his Invictus Games Foundation, was invited by the Ukrainian government to discuss new initiatives aimed at aiding wounded personnel.
Speaking to the Guardian on an overnight train to the capital, Prince Harry said: 'We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process.' He emphasised the need to keep the plight of those affected by the war in the public eye, adding: 'We have to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds. I hope this trip will help to bring it home to people because it’s easy to become desensitised to what has been going on.'
The visit was prompted by a chance meeting in New York with Olga Rudnieva, founder of the Superhumans Trauma Centre in Lviv, which treats amputees. Prince Harry visited the centre in April and, after Rudnieva suggested a trip to Kyiv would have the greatest impact, he secured approval from his wife and the British government. 'This is the first time we will see the real destruction of the war,' he noted.
Ukraine has participated in the Invictus Games since 2017, and demand has surged since the Russian invasion. The Duke recalled the reception of the Ukrainian team at the 2022 Games in The Hague, saying: 'Everyone felt an immense connection to them. Some of the competitors were being pulled off the battlefield and were going back to the battlefield.'
During his stay, Prince Harry is scheduled to visit the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War and meet 200 veterans, as well as Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. The £10 million aid package will fund sports recovery programmes and provide equipment across Ukraine, building on the government's policy of using sport for veteran rehabilitation. By March this year, over 22,000 veterans had accessed benefits such as gym memberships and pool passes.
