Angelina Jolie says she visited children in Kharkiv and paid tribute to Hero of Ukraine Oleksii Yukov – photo
Hollywood actress, director and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie has shared details of her trip to Ukraine that took place in late August.
Source: Angelina Jolie on Instagram
Details: Jolie shared that she had met with Ukrainian children and families of service members who had been held captive, and paid tribute to the memory of Hero of Ukraine Oleksii Yukov.
The actress wrote that, against the backdrop of intensified Russian attacks on the civilian population and infrastructure, she had met with Ukrainian teachers and coaches who continue to educate children despite the constant threat.
Quote: "Kharkiv sits close to the Russian border and is hit almost daily, so classrooms have been built inside metro stations. Other schools are fully underground, where young children learn to read three stories deep."
Details: The American actress also visited Northern Saltivka, the district hardest hit by Russian attacks. There, she visited a sports studio where children train in cheerleading and aerial gymnastics.
Jolie noted that they were "practising through air raid alerts in an underground training room in Northern Saltivka".
Additionally, Jolie met with students from the art studio of artist Mykola Kolomiiets.
"I saw children with learning disabilities create incredible art freely. The studio moved underground in 2022 to shelter from the bombing," the actress wrote.
During the trip, Jolie visited the Carpathian Mountains, where programmes are held for the families of defenders who survived Russian captivity. There, families are helped to rebuild lost connections.
"We sat with the women who have raised their children alone while campaigning for their husbands' release. Some have waited four years," she shared.
Jolie also paid her respects to the family of Oleksii Yukov, the late founder of the Platsdarm organisation, who spent most of his life recovering, identifying and ensuring they were returned to their families.
"These local organisations, with limited resources, have found ways to keep going under impossible circumstances," Jolie concluded regarding her third visit to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Background: In 2025, Jolie visited Mykolaiv and Kherson. During that visit, a Russian drone flew overhead – her team had to stop and wait until the drone passed.
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