Prince Harry has issued sobering advice while speaking in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv as part of his surprise trip to the embattled nation.
The Duke of Sussex was invited to visit the city by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Superhumans Center CEO Olga Rudneva.
Harry arrived in Ukraine on Friday, as head of an Invictus Games Foundation delegation in his role as the organisation’s founder and patron.
The duke joined a panel at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, where he spoke about his mission and candid advice about transitioning out of military service.
Prince Harry has promoted ‘opening up to friends and family’ to veterans during his trip to Ukraine
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SUSSEX.COM / DANIEL LEVENE
Harry began by paying tribute to military families, stating: “The wives and mothers who keep their loved ones on the straight and narrow—they deserve as much respect as anyone who serves.”
As a former serviceman himself, Harry empathised with the plight of soldiers readjusting to civilian life.
“You will feel lost at times, like you lack purpose. But however dark those days are, there is light at the end of the tunnel,” the duke said.
“You just need to look for it, because there will always be someone—a mother, father, sibling, friend, or comrade—there to pick you up,” he stressed.
The Duke of Sussex was speaking on a panel at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War
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SUSSEX.COM / DANIEL LEVENE
Harry’s advice to the veterans concluded with the advice: “Don’t stay silent. Silence will hold you in the dark.”
“Open up to your friends and family, because in doing so you give them permission to do the same,” he empathised.
The duke was speaking alongside Captain Olexiy Tiunin of Team Ukraine Invictus Games, David Wiseman from the Invictus Games Foundation, and Superhumans Center representatives Olga Rudneva and Andriy Stavnitser.
After the panel, Harry held confidential discussions with Ukraine’s Veterans Affairs Minister Natalia Kalmykova.
Harry was invited to visit Kyiv by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Superhumans Center CEO Olga Rudneva
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They discussed practical methods for the Invictus Games Foundation to strengthen assistance for injured military personnel and veterans facing life-altering wounds.
Ukraine’s rehabilitation requirements are among the world’s most substantial, with approximately 1.5 million veterans needing support.
The Foundation pledged to prioritise Ukraine in the coming years, acknowledging both the magnitude of rehabilitation requirements and possibilities for substantial assistance.
Prince Harry shared an additional confidential meeting with Prime Minister Svyrydenko, where he emphasised his ongoing dedication to supporting the global Invictus community.
The duke was in Ukraine to promote efforts for the approximately 1.5 million veterans needing support
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He also supported the Superhumans Center’s rehabilitation work, which assists over 150,000 severely injured Ukrainian military personnel.
The facility’s experts specialise in recovery programmes addressing the extensive human toll of the ongoing war.
During a fundraising event, attendees discussed plans for constructing five additional rehabilitation facilities through the Superhumans Centre.
Prince Harry concluded his Kyiv visit by placing a wreath at Maidan Square.
The Duke of Sussex’s surprise trip to Ukraine was made with the permission of the British government.
It came immediately after his four-day trip to the UK, where he reunited with King Charles for the first time in over a year and a half.