'She wasn't afraid of the bombs' — Kherson locals in awe over Angelina Jolie's visit
For Kherson journalist Yevheniia Virlych, “difficult” doesn’t begin to describe day-to-day life in her city — “critical” is closer to the mark. So when American actress Angelina Jolie visited Kherson on Nov. 5, she and other local residents began to hope the world might finally look closer at how Russia is terrorizing them.
“Thanks to the fact that a star of truly global stature — someone with influence and media recognition — has seen the city’s realities firsthand, Kherson residents received a ray of hope: maybe Angelina Jolie can use her influence to help the city somehow,” Virlich told the Kyiv Independent.
If Jolie continues to speak out about what she witnessed in the front-line city firsthand, that could help with the delivery of relief aid, according to Virlich and others.
On Nov. 5, Jolie traveled with the UK-based Legacy of War Foundation to Ukraine’s front-line Kherson and Mykolaiv regions in the south, visiting schools and hospitals that have been forced underground to continue functioning despite constant Russian attacks.
Jolie’s visit caused a stir not only in Kherson but across Ukraine, with people eager to learn more about the reasons behind her visit to one of the most dangerous parts of the country.
There was also speculation after a Ukrainian man in Jolie’s entourage was reportedly detained by military enlistment officers, but local media confirmed that the man, a reserve officer, lacked a valid medical commission certificate and was redirected to another location to settle the issue.
The situation in Kherson has remained fraught since the earliest days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces captured most of Kherson Oblast, including its capital, in the early spring of 2022, occupying it until a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive forced their retreat later that November.
While the city of Kherson was liberated from Russian occupation, the Dnipro River now marks a tense front line for the region, dividing Ukrainian-controlled territory on the western bank from Russian-occupied areas to the east.
Day-to-day life in Kherson unfolds under constant threat with Russian forces positioned just across the river. Kherson faces more than relentless shelling, though — Russian forces are increasingly using FPV drones to hunt civilians in what they call a “human safari.”
“Every month, we have dozens of civilians killed and hundreds wounded. Residential buildings, hospitals, museums, ambulances, and rescue workers have all become targets for almost every kind of weapon,” local historian Dementii Belii told the Kyiv Independent.
“Lately, Russian forces have also been trying to block the only main highway that brings food, goods, and people into Kherson. Kherson residents live in these nightmarish conditions every day.”
Given the dangers of visiting Kherson today, Jolie’s trip meant a lot more than words of support from afar for some locals — in a country where even safer areas can feel distant from their reality, it reminded them that they were not alone.
“Many people in Kherson feel that the authorities, society, and even Ukraine have forgotten them — that no one is paying attention to the city’s suffering and the citizens’ problems. These thoughts undermine people’s strength and their hope for survival,” Belii said.
“That’s why people here deeply respect the courage of Angelina Jolie, because she was not afraid to come under bombs and shelling to support the people of Kherson.”
