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US actress Angelina Jolie visited Kherson and Mykolaiv on Thursday, meeting medical staff, families and volunteers in some of the most dangerous regions in Ukraine.
According to the Legacy of War Foundation, Jolie was shown how medical and educational institutions in Ukraine’s frontline regions have been relocated into reinforced underground spaces to continue their operations.
The Kherson region is partially occupied by Russian forces on the left bank of the Dnipro River. Kherson city — on the opposite bank of the river — is constantly targeted by Russian forces due to its proximity to the occupied area and therefore limitations of Ukrainian air defences.
“The people of Mykolaiv and Kherson live with danger every day, but they refuse to give in. 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 released by the foundation.
Russian drone attacks on Kherson city have become so frequent that the residents describe Moscow’s strategy of constant attacks on civilians as “human safari”.
To protect the people and civilian infrastructure, major roads leading into the centre of Kherson are covered in improvised nets.
According to the Legacy of War Foundation, Jolie was shown this anti-drone protection technique, which turns roads into a kind of protected tunnel.
“After nearly three years of conflict, exhaustion is visible, yet so too is determination. Families want safety, peace, and the chance to rebuild their lives. Diplomacy and the protection of civilians should not be allowed to fall away in a brutal contest of weapons and technology.”
On 29 October, a Russian artillery strike hit a children’s hospital in Kherson, injuring nine people, including four children.
Domestic media outlets also reported that during Jolie’s visit, a Ukrainian member of her security detail was detained by military enlistment officers.
The man in question is reportedly a reserve officer who lacked a valid medical commission certificate and was redirected to another location to settle the issue.
Local media outlets confirmed with the regional military recruitment office in Mykolaiv that Jolie visited the premises.
The actress previously visited Ukraine in the spring of 2022, just two months into Russia’s full-scale invasion.