‘Can’t stop war but can help recovery’: Prince Harry makes surprise trip to Ukraine, pledges support for veterans

Recovery through sport

Speaking to The Guardian on an overnight train to the capital, Harry said the foundation’s role was to assist in recovery and to keep attention on those affected. Ukraine estimates that 1.3 lakh people have been left with permanent disabilities since the war began. The government has placed rehabilitation through sport at the centre of its veteran policy, and by March this year more than 22,000 veterans had accessed benefits including gym memberships and pool passes.

Sport had become “a key function in veterans’ healthcare,” said Natalia Kalmykova, Ukraine’s minister for veterans affairs.

Ukraine first took part in the Invictus Games in 2017. Harry recalled the 2022 Games in The Hague, saying Ukrainian competitors stood out as they were returning to the battlefield after the event. “It was remarkable. Every one of the participants had a journey to get to those games, but nobody from any of the other competing nations was going back to war. That is why the Ukrainians stood out. Everyone felt an immense connection to them. Some of the competitors were being pulled off the battlefield and were going back to the battlefield. It means so much to us, because it means so much to them,” he said.

Meetings in Kyiv

The invitation to Kyiv came from Olga Rudnieva, chief executive of the Superhumans Trauma Centre in Lviv. Harry first visited the centre in April this year and later met Rudnieva in New York, where she told him that his presence in Kyiv would have the most impact. “It was a chance meeting and I asked her what I could do to help.” He said he had sought clearance from his wife and the British government before accepting the invitation.

In Kyiv, Harry is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and spend time with 200 veterans. His programme also includes a visit to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.

(With inputs from The Guardian)

From the homepage

‘Even Trump doesn’t know what could happen tomorrow’: Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi says future threats unpredictable

Washington Sundar stars as India defeat Australia by 5 wickets, level series 1-1

Ravi Shankar Prasad interview: ‘Rahul is a political tourist … Has Tejashwi mentioned vote chori? With 99.9% in as voters, he is exposed’