Prince Harry has arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit, accepting an invitation from the Ukrainian government to spotlight the ongoing conflict and support wounded military personnel. The Duke of Sussex travelled with a team from the Invictus Games Foundation, which he founded, to discuss new rehabilitation initiatives.
Speaking to the Guardian on an overnight train to the capital, the Prince said: “We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process.” He added that he hoped the trip would remind people of the human cost of the war, as “it’s easy to become desensitised”.
The visit comes after an estimated 130,000 people have been left with permanent disabilities since Russia’s full-scale invasion began three years ago. Ukraine has now placed sport-based rehabilitation at the centre of its veteran policy, with more than 22,000 veterans accessing benefits like gym memberships and pool passes.
Prince Harry was initially invited by Olga Rudnieva, founder of the Superhumans Trauma Centre in Lviv, which treats amputees. He visited the centre in April and later met Rudnieva by chance in New York, where she urged him to come to Kyiv. After checking with his wife and the British government, the official invitation was extended.
During his stay, the Prince is expected to visit the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War and meet 200 veterans, as well as Ukraine’s acting prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko. He noted that unlike other Invictus Games participants, Ukrainian competitors often return to the battlefield, making their connection to the games especially poignant.
