Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie recently visited Kherson, one of Ukraine's most dangerous frontline cities, following the recent drone strikes by Russian troops, international charity organisation Legacy of War Foundation said in a statement Thursday.
The 50-year-old actress met medical professionals, volunteers and citizens falling victim to constant attacks by the Russian army.
“At a time when governments around the world are turning their backs on the protection of civilians, their strength, and their support for each other is humbling,” Jolie said in a statement issued on Thursday by the Legacy of War Foundation, which supported her visit to Kherson and its surrounding region Mykolaiv.
“The people of Mykolaiv and Kherson live with danger every day, but they refuse to give in,” Jolie said.
Several pictures shared by Legacy of War Foundation show Jolie sporting a flak jacket in a basement and meeting children living in a windowless room.
According to the non-profit organisation, Jolie spent time with medical staff, families and volunteers, who continue their daily lives under the constant presence of drones, the threat of shelling, and landmines that make large areas unsafe to return to.
The actress witnessed how in some parts of the city, netting has been placed above public roads to try to provide a measure of protection against drone attack.
Once home to at least 3,00,000 civilians, Kherson is the largest city situated within the range of Russia’s frontline weapons — a location that easily makes it one of Ukraine’s most dangerous cities. It was occupied by Russian forces in March 2022 and they withdrew after eight months across the Dnipro River. They now remain on the opposite side of the bank.
Russia has been attacking civilians living near the front line with drones, forcing thousands to flee the region, a UN inquiry found out last month. However, Russia has denied the targeting of civilians.
Officials based locally have said that Ukraine’s army has shot down around 2,500 of 2,646 Russian drones that were launched to attack Kherson last week.
“We are very grateful for (Jolie's visit) and for the fact that people are coming here,” Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of Kherson's regional administration, told Ukraine's main state-controlled TV. “Sometimes it seems that we have been forgotten, but we can see that this is not the case.”
Previously, Jolie visited Ukraine’s western city of Lviv in 2022 to meet civilians who were displaced amid the war.