According to the regional government, Jolie, a UNHCR Special Envoy for Refugees since 2011, has arrived to meet with displaced persons.
This photograph was given by the city of Lviv. Angelina Jolie, a Hollywood actress and UNHCR goodwill ambassador, poses for a portrait with children in Lviv, Ukraine, on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Ms. Jolie traveled to Ukraine to meet with war-affected children and to tour hospitals and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that assist the injured and displaced. (AP Photo/Maksym Kozutsky/Lviv City Hall) According to the Associated Press
(AP) — LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — Angelina Jolie, a Hollywood actress and United Nations humanitarian, paid a surprise visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Saturday, according to the Lviv regional governor on Telegram.
According to Maksym Kozytskyy, Jolie – a UNHCR Special Envoy for Refugees since 2011 — had come to talk with displaced persons who had taken safety in Lviv, including children who were injured in the missile strike on the Kramatorsk train station in early April.
The strike in the eastern Ukrainian city appeared to target a throng of largely women and children fleeing a Russian advance, killing at least 52 people and injuring scores more.
"(The children's) stories impacted her," Kozytskyy wrote. "One youngster was even able to tell Ms. Jolie personally about a dream she'd experienced."
He also stated that Jolie visited a boarding school, spoke with pupils, and took photographs with them, adding that "she promised she would come again."
According to Kozytskyy, Jolie also met with evacuees arriving at Lviv's major train station, as well as Ukrainian volunteers offering medical assistance and counseling to the newcomers.
"The visit came as a surprise to all of us," he wrote. "Many individuals who saw Ms. Jolie in the Lviv region couldn't believe it was her. But, since February 24, Ukraine has demonstrated to the entire world that there are many amazing things here."
