Duchess of Edinburgh makes surprise visit to Ukraine, first UK royal since start of Russian invasion

Duchess of Edinburgh Sophie arrived in Kyiv on Monday and became the first member of the British royal family to visit Ukraine after the start of Russia's full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, reported the BBC.

She arrived on a one-day visit on behalf of the British Foreign Office to "demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war".

The princess honored the memory of those who died in Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, during the Russian occupation of the town.

During her trip, Sophie spoke with victims of sexual violence and torture, and at an evening reception at the residence of the British ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris, she spoke about her experience meeting with victims of conflicts in other countries.

"Women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human costs. Rape is used to demean, to degrade and to destroy," she said.

The Duchess also spoke with children who were returned to Ukraine after being forcibly abducted to Russia, and also visited a bridge that was blown up to stop the advance of Russian soldiers on Kyiv.

During a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska, the Duchess gave them a private message from King Charles and discussed support for victims of sexual violence during the war.

In December, the SBU security service reported that it had established another military unit of the Russian Federation and identified its servicemen who were involved in Russian atrocities against prisoners and the civilian population. The SBU made public the interception of a soldier's conversation about the rape and subsequent murder committed by the Russians and the abuse of the prisoners.

Zelenska reported that as of March 4, the Prosecutor General's Office is investigating 274 criminal proceedings into episodes of sexual violence during the war.