Sophie first royal to visit Ukraine since war began
The Independent|April 30, 2024
The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first member of the royal family to visit Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, meeting president Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife in Kyiv.
TOM WATLING
Sophie first royal to visit Ukraine since war began

Sophie, 59, made the surprise visit on behalf of the Foreign Office to show solidarity with those impacted by the war and as part of her work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

The duchess champions the work of Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the Women, Peace and Security agenda. She took on the role in 2019, on International Women’s Day.

While there, she met with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and survivors of torture who shared their stories, as well as female volunteers who help their communities cope with the aftermath of the attacks with mental health care activities for children.

She also met with children who have now been safely returned to Ukraine, after being forcibly separated from their families and deported by Kremlin authorities into occupied territory or mainland Russia.

This story is from the April 30, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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This story is from the April 30, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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