Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie’s ongoing visit to Ukraine turned dramatic on Wednesday, when her local driver was detained and drafted into the military. The incident took place in Kherson, an area being regularly attacked by the Russian miliary. Jolie was visiting the place with Legacy of War Foundation, as part of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and had not informed the Ukrainian govt about her visit in advance.
As per reports, Jolie’s traveling party was stopped at a checkpoint for routine inspection, where local military recruiters were also present. During the checking, it was found that the driver had no valid reason for not being in the army. As per laws of the wartime Ukraine, all able-bodied men are subject to service in times of national emergency. Reportedly, the driver had not updated his military registration status, a requirement under the country’s draft laws aimed at bolstering defences against Russian advances.
Reportedly, the driver told the officers that he was driving an “important person”, but his objections were ignored and he was taken to the Territorial Recruitment Centre (TRC) – which handles enlistment for fighters.
After the incident, the army confirmed that the man was taken away for drafting on the services. However, the army later deleted the statement, and told the media that they could neither confirm or deny details of what happened. They further said, “The information being spread in the media is distorted, an investigation is currently underway and all the circumstances are being clarified.”
Politico reported that the regional military recruitment offiсe in Mykolaiv confirmed the incident, and said that Jolie’s driver was a military reservist and was ordered to come to military retraining.
It is not clear whether he was immediately sent for retraining or was allowed to join Angelina Joie for the rest of her trip. The actor has not made any comments on the incident. She continued with her scheduled programs after the incident, and met children in Kherson and Mykolaiv. She was seen wearing a bulletproof vest during the interactions.
Some reports claimed that Jolie called Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy requesting the release of the driver, but local officials denied the claim. They said that Jolie did not interfere in the military’s work, and proceeded with her program.
“At a time when governments around the world are turning their backs on the protection of civilians, their strength, and their support for each other is humbling,” Jolie said in a statement released on Thursday by the Legacy of War Foundation after his visit to Kherson and nearby Mykolaiv. Kherson is the biggest city within range of Russia’s frontline weapons, making it one of Ukraine’s most dangerous cities. It was occupied by Russian forces in March 2022, but later they withdrew 8 months later.
