Hollywood superstar and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie has made a powerful and sobering return to Ukraine, drawing global attention to the dire situation faced by civilians in the war-torn frontline regions of Kherson and Mykolaiv.
A Glimpse into the Underground War
During her impactful visit, Jolie met with families who have lost everything, dedicated medical professionals, and resilient volunteers. A striking reality she witnessed was the relocation of essential services like schools and hospitals into underground bunkers, a desperate measure to shield people from relentless aerial attacks.
Jolie herself experienced the constant threat that looms over the region. In a chilling note shared on her Instagram, she described the ominous sound of drones. "You hear a low hum in the sky," she wrote, revealing that locals have grimly nicknamed this phenomenon a "human safari," where unmanned aircraft are used to "track, hunt, and terrorize people constantly." Her own delegation was forced to pause and take cover when a drone hovered menacingly overhead.
Resilience Amidst the Rubble
Images from the trip showed the acclaimed actor wearing protective gear as she walked through neighbourhoods reduced to rubble and toured subterranean medical clinics. She described the journey as emotionally "hard" but also profoundly "inspiring" due to the incredible strength and spirit of the Ukrainian people she encountered.
The scale of the threat was underscored by local officials, who provided staggering figures. In just one week, Ukraine's military intercepted approximately 2,500 out of 2,646 Russian drones launched in the Kherson region alone.
A Message of Solidarity
Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, the deputy head of Kherson’s regional administration, expressed deep gratitude for Jolie's presence. "We are very grateful for [Jolie’s visit] and for the fact that people are coming here," he stated. "Sometimes it seems that we have been forgotten, but we can see that this is not the case." This visit marks Jolie's second trip to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began, having previously travelled to Lviv in April 2022.
