Angelina Jolie Risks Her Life In Ukraine To Visit Children In Bombed Hospitals
Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie is once again proving her humanitarian commitment runs far deeper than Hollywood headlines. The "Maleficent" star was spotted this week in Kherson, Ukraine, wearing body armor and visiting hospitals in one of the most dangerous regions still under threat from Russian attacks. Kherson, a city that has endured relentless shelling since Russia's invasion in 2022, remains one of Ukraine's most volatile zones. Local reports confirm Jolie toured a children's hospital and a maternity ward, meeting patients and staff as part of a mission with the Legacy of War Foundation. This international charity provides aid to civilians affected by conflict.
Angelina Jolie Comforts Children In War Zone Days After Russian Strike On Hospital
Former city council member Vitaliy Bohdanov shared photos, which The Daily Mail obtained, of Jolie wearing a bulletproof vest marked with the foundation's patch. Other images show the actress kneeling beside children in a brightly colored playroom, toys scattered around her, armored vest still on, as she offered comfort and attention amid the chaos.
Jolie's visit came just days after a Russian strike on Kherson's children's hospital injured nine, underscoring the danger she willingly walked into. Locals described her presence as both "surreal" and "deeply moving," noting that few international figures have entered the area since the bombardments intensified.
A Legacy Of Humanitarian Work
My respect to Angelina Jolie 🇺🇦
"Angelina Jolie is travelling to Ukraine in her personal capacity and UNHCR has no involvement in this visit," UN spokesperson Matt Saltmarsh said in an email statement.#StandWithUkraine
Photo Volodymyr Lys pic.twitter.com/hdSpSafGf1— Oleksandra Matviichuk (@avalaina) May 1, 2022
This isn't Jolie's first time in Ukraine. She last visited in 2022, traveling to Lviv, where she met children injured in the Kramatorsk train station missile attack and spoke with displaced families seeking safety under air raid sirens. Later that year, she met Ukrainian child refugees at Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome, one of the many facilities treating young victims of the war.
At the time, UNICEF estimated more than 2 million children had fled Ukraine, with an additional 2.5 million displaced internally. Jolie called the numbers "heartbreaking but not hopeless," emphasizing the need for continued aid.
Angelina Jolie's Ongoing Fight For Humanity
Jolie's commitment to global humanitarian efforts spans more than two decades. From 2001 to 2012, she served as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador before being promoted to Special Envoy, completing more than 60 field missions to assist refugees and displaced communities.
"I approached UNHCR because I believe in what the United Nations is attempting to do and I support the United Nations," she said in 2002. "I read about the different chapters, and UNHCR was the most [appealing] because I believe refugees are the most vulnerable people in the world. They are affected by everything, including landmines. They are vulnerable to everything."
Jolie On Why She Keeps Showing Up
🇺🇳 Actress and @UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie visited children in the #Lviv region who were injured in an air strike on a train station in #Kramatorsk.
Jolie also visited a boarding school and talked to volunteers at the train station.#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/i1bJqGpXMU— Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - Ukrainian Parliament (@ua_parliament) April 30, 2022
Long before her latest trip to Kherson, Angelina Jolie made it clear that her humanitarian work was never about publicity, it was about people. During her time as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie spoke openly about her motivation to serve refugees and displaced families across the globe.
"Awareness [of] the plight of these people," Jolie once said when asked what she hoped to accomplish through her role. "I think they should be commended for what they have survived, not looked down upon. People are often uncomfortable and don't like the idea, they seem to shy away because of what it means to them. I think these are really amazing people that are not really understood."
Angelina Jolie's Humanitarian Spirit Still Burns Bright After Stepping Down From The UN
@rtenews Angelina Jolie has visited displaced people in Ukraine #rtenews #ukraine #angelinajolie #russiaukraine #ukrainewar #unitednations ♬ original sound - RTÉ News
Though she stepped down from her UN role in 2022 to focus on independent human rights work, her actions have shown that her mission hasn't slowed. Jolie even shared her heartbreak over Ukraine at the start of the war, writing on Instagram in February 2022, "Like many of you, I'm praying for the people of Ukraine. My focus, along with my @refugees colleagues, is ensuring protection and basic human rights for those displaced."
Her decades-long dedication earned her the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2013, and her latest visit to Ukraine shows that title remains well deserved.
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