This trip comes as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year since the large-scale Russian invasion of February 24, 2022, and aims to demonstrate clear support. Prince Harry traveled by train and attended the Kyiv Independent Security Forum, where he met with several prominent figures, including combat medic Yuliia Payevska. In a speech, he called for an end to the violence and addressed Vladimir Putin directly, stating that no country wants further loss of life, while also praising the resilience of the Ukrainian people. On April 24, he visited the HALO Trust demining teams near Butcha. There, he observed and tested equipment designed to neutralize mines and unexploded ordnance. Systems combining drones and artificial intelligence are now enabling faster detection of explosives, while digital mapping tools are being used to locate high-risk areas. The organization reports that more than 13,000 danger zones have been identified and that over 29,000 km² of farmland has been secured since 2022. The prince also saw robots used to neutralize booby traps, which he deemed safer and more effective, echoing Princess Diana's work in Angola in 1997. Vast areas of the country remain contaminated by unexploded ordnance from the fighting around Kyiv in 2022. This visit also reflects his long-standing commitment to wounded service members, notably through the Invictus Games Foundation, which he founded in 2014.
