'They refuse to give in,' Angelina Jolie says on her Kherson, Mykolaiv visit
Latest: 'She wasn't afraid of the bombs' — Kherson locals in awe over Angelina Jolie's visit
American actress Angelina Jolie visited medical staff, families, and volunteers in Kherson and Mykolaiv, the Legacy of War Foundation confirmed on Nov. 6.
During her visit, Jolie was shown how medical and educational institutions in Ukraine's southern front-line regions have been moved into reinforced underground spaces to continue their operations, according to a press release from the organization.
Jolie was also shown how netting has been placed above a number of roads in an effort to protect locals from near-daily targeting in Russian drone attacks.
"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 Legacy of War Foundation.
"After nearly (four) 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."
The actress previously visited Ukraine in the spring of 2022.
Reports circulated that during Jolie's visit, a Ukrainian man from her entourage was detained by military enlistment officers.
Local outlet MykVisti confirmed with the regional military recruitment office in Mykolaiv that Jolie visited the premises. MykVisti added that a man traveling with Jolie, being a reserve officer, lacked a valid medical commission certificate and was redirected to another location to settle the issue.
Those living in Ukraine's south have endured some of the deadliest Russian attacks in the nearly four years of full-scale war.
Kherson Oblast has been a front-line region since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Russian forces captured the regional capital, Kherson, in March 2022, but Ukrainian troops liberated the city later that year.
Parts of the oblast remain under Russian occupation, and the civilian population of Kherson continues to face daily deadly attacks.
