Prince Harry’s visit was undertaken at the invitation of the Ukrainian government, with consent from the British government and his wife, Meghan Markle. Accompanied by a team from his Invictus Games Foundation—a charity founded to support wounded military personnel through sport—he met with approximately 200 veterans in Kyiv and held discussions with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. During the visit, Harry also toured the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.
Speaking with The Guardian during the overnight train journey, Prince Harry said, “We cannot stop the war, but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process.” He highlighted the importance of humanising those affected by the conflict, emphasising a need to keep the ongoing war and its consequences in the public consciousness. Harry expressed hope that his visit would help people better understand the human costs of the war, stating that it is “easy to become desensitised to what has been going on.”
Earlier in April 2025, Prince Harry visited Lviv, where he toured the Superhumans Trauma Centre, a rehabilitation facility providing prosthetics and psychological support to victims of the conflict at no cost. The current trip to Kyiv represents an extension of his charity’s commitment to rehabilitation, with plans to broaden post-conflict recovery programmes for injured individuals and wider communities affected by the war.
The decision to visit Kyiv, despite the city being regularly targeted by Russian drone attacks, demonstrated Prince Harry’s dedication to supporting those wounded in the conflict. Ukrainian Railways, which publicly shared a video of Harry disembarking the train, welcomed him as “friends of Ukraine aboard our trains.” Security considerations kept much of the schedule confidential.
The Duke’s visit also coincided with broader efforts to mend strained relations within the British royal family following Harry and Meghan’s 2020 decision to step back from royal duties and relocate to the United States. His recent private reunion with King Charles was seen as a positive step in that direction.
Prince Harry’s ongoing advocacy for wounded service members includes continuing operation of the Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014. Additionally, his Archewell Foundation recently contributed $500,000 in aid to help medically evacuate injured children and provide prosthetics in Ukraine and Gaza, linking his charitable activities to humanitarian needs in conflict zones.
Harry’s visit comes amid sustained fighting and heightened military activity in Ukraine, where the conflict has caused widespread service member injuries, with reports indicating close to 390,000 such cases since 2022, many involving multiple wounds due to repeated deployments. The visit spotlighted these challenges and the critical role of rehabilitation in the long-term recovery of soldiers and civilians alike.
This surprise trip reinforced Prince Harry’s longstanding focus on veteran care and rehabilitation, continuing his efforts to raise awareness and support for those impacted by war.