Duchess Sophie visits Ukraine in first trip by British royal since start of war

Sophie, Britain's Duchess of Edinburgh, has visited Ukraine, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his wife in the first trip to the country by a British royal since the conflict with Russia began, Reuters reports citing a statement by Buckingham Palace.

Sophie, 59, the wife of King Charles' youngest brother Prince Edward, made the surprise visit on behalf of Britain's Foreign Office to show solidarity with those impacted by the war and as part of her work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, the palace said in a statement.The foreign office said Sophie paid her respects to those who lost their lives in Bucha, a town near Kyiv where Russian forces are accused of committing war crimes.

She met with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and survivors of torture, the ministry said, and children who had been returned to Ukraine after being separated from their families and taken to Russia, the report adds. She also met female volunteers who have helped their communities cope with the aftermath of attacks with mental healthcare activities for children.

Sophie's trip to Ukraine follows previous visits she has made to countries including Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia to hear first-hand testimonies from victims of conflict-related sexual violence.