Was Angelina Jolie's driver detained in Ukraine? Everything to know amid actress' unannounced visit to the war-torn country

Actress Angelina Jolie paid an unannounced visit to the war-torn Ukraine for reported humanitarian purposes. This marks Jolie's second time visiting the country, and this time she travelled with the Legacy of War Foundation.

On Tuesday, November 4, Angelina Jolie visited the cities of Kherson and Mykolaiv in Ukraine. Upon arrival, Jolie's driver was reportedly detained in the country for military retraining. An official from the regional military recruitment offiсe in Mykolaiv confirmed the news to POLITICO, explaining that Jolie's driver was a military reservist and was instructed to come to military retraining.

The outlet also reported that sources confirmed to them that Angelina Jolie or her entourage had not informed the country about her unexpected visit. Moreover, she entered the country on foot after her driver was detained. It is unclear whether Jolie's driver was immediately sent to retraining or asked to report at a later stage.

Following the incident, the Ukrainian Army Land Forces shared an official statement including details about the incident. The post reportedly mentioned that the person detained was Angelina Jolie's driver. However, they deleted the post soon after and told POLITICO that they cannot confirm or deny the details. However, they told the outlet:

"The information being spread in the media is distorted, an investigation is currently underway and all the circumstances are being clarified."

Previously, Angelina Jolie paid a visit to the city of Liv in Ukraine since Russia's invasion of the country in 2022. This marks her second time visiting the country, also for humanitarian purposes.

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When Angelina Jolie claimed she doesn't "recognize" her country anymore amid free speech debate in the United States

"Maria" Red Carpet - The 81st Venice International Film Festival - Source: Getty

In an interview with The Guardian in September this year, Angelina Jolie was asked what she fears the most as an American and an artist. The actress claimed she does not recognize America anymore, and said:

"It is a very difficult question. I love my country, but at this time, I don’t recognize my country. I’ve always lived internationally, my family is international, my friends, my life."

She also elaborated on how she sees the world:

"My worldview is equal, united and international. Anything anywhere that divides or limits personal expressions and freedoms from anyone, I think, is very dangerous. These are such serious times that we have to be careful not to say things casually. These are very, very heavy times we are living in together."

During her latest visit to Ukraine, Angelina Jolie was reportedly spotted visiting hospitals in the region of Kherson, a place still allegedly in fear of Russian invasion. The actress reportedly visited the children and the maternity ward in the hospital. She is working in collaboration with the Legacy of War Foundation, an organization providing support to war-affected citizens.

Former member of the city council, Vitaliy Bohdanov, shared images of Angelina Jolie visiting children in the hospital. These images featured the actress wearing a bulletproof vest and visiting kids in a colourful room and playing with them with toys.

During her previous visit to the city of Liv in 2022, Jolie met children who were injured during the Kramatorsk missile attack. She also interacted with displaced families in Ukraine, looking for safety under air raid sirens. In the same year, the UNICEF ambassador also met child refugees from Ukraine at a pediatric hospital in Rome, which is one of the organizations helping young refugees.

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For those uninformed, Jolie is well known for her contribution to humanitarian work. The actress has been a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador between 2001 and 2012, after which she was promoted to Special Envoy. She has completed more than 60 field missions to aid refugees and displaced people.

Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar