The Duke of Sussex met wounded veterans and medical workers during an unannounced visit to Ukraine over the weekend, telling them: “You’re going to win the war.”
Prince Harry arrived in the western city of Lviv on Saturday, making it his fourth visit to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began.
The 42-year-old toured the Superhumans Centre, a specialist facility providing medical care, prosthetics and rehabilitation, before speaking at the first international War Trauma Conference at the All-Ukrainian War Trauma Center.
Acknowledging that he had “taken a risk to come here”, Harry told attendees: “Every single time I come back to Ukraine, I feel welcome, I feel warmth.
“You’re going to win the war and then you’re going to be set up for success.”
Harry said Ukraine’s expertise in supporting injured military personnel and civilians would provide an important foundation for rebuilding the country after the conflict.
The War Trauma Conference is the first event dedicated to modern methods of treating and rehabilitating people affected by combat-related trauma.
The duke wore a dark hooded puffer jacket with dark blue trousers and brown desert boots as he took part in a series of engagements.
The Duke of Sussex met wounded veterans and medics during an unannounced visit to Ukraine, telling them: “You’re going to win the war”
He later posed with organisers of Ukraine’s Invictus Games. Harry founded the event and serves as patron of the Invictus Games Foundation
Harry, pictured holding a child in Lviv, said he felt “welcome” and “warmth” every time he visited Ukraine. His latest trip was his fourth since the conflict began
At a school sports hall, the duke watched wheelchair rugby players compete for a place on Ukraine’s team for next year’s Invictus Games
He was photographed beaming as he lifted a young boy for a picture and later posed alongside organisers of Ukraine’s Invictus Games.
At a school sports hall, Harry watched wheelchair rugby players compete for a place on Ukraine’s team for next year’s Invictus Games. He also joined participants for a game of pickleball.
Ukraine plans to send 60 competitors — its biggest team yet — to the 2027 edition of the event, which is due to be held in Birmingham.
The country has around 1.4 million combat veterans, with more than 10 per cent living with disabilities.
Later on Saturday, Harry told wounded veterans entering the Invictus movement: “When the war is over and when Ukraine wins, we will be ready to support you in holding an Invictus Games.”
During the rugby session, he embraced a player he recognised: Valery Odainyk, a former competitor at the 2025 Invictus Games in Canada who has an amputated leg.
The 41-year-old, who has a large tattoo on one arm and pronounced smile lines, told the duke that he remains “an active serviceman”.
At a school sports hall, Harry watched wheelchair rugby players compete for a place on Ukraine’s team for next year’s Invictus Games
Harry wore a dark hooded puffer jacket, dark blue trousers and brown desert boots during his series of engagements
Ukraine has around 1.4 million combat veterans, more than 10 per cent of whom have disabilities
Harry joined Ukrainian war veterans for a game of pickleball
The duke signed a ball during trials for Ukraine’s Invictus Games team
Prince Harry’s arrival in Lviv on Saturday marked his fourth visit to Ukraine since the conflict with Russia began
Prince Harry meets Ukrainian war veteran Kostiantyn Vlasenko at the Superhumans Centre
Harry told wounded veterans joining the Invictus movement: “When the war is over and when Ukraine wins, we will be ready to support you in holding an Invictus Games”
“So when do you find time to train?” Harry asked, apparently surprised.
Mr Odainyk later said he told the duke that his involvement in sport “all started and continues with the Invictus Games”.
Harry’s previous visit to Ukraine came in April 2026, just days after he completed a pseudo-royal tour of Australia with his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
During that trip, Harry told reporters he was “not here as a politician” but as “a soldier who understands service” and a “humanitarian”.
He called on Vladimir Putin to “stop this war” in Ukraine and accused Russian forces of carrying out “mass killings and torture”.
In September 2025, the duke made his second trip to Ukraine and visited Kyiv for the first time. The capital had been struck by Russian cruise missiles only two days earlier.
During that visit, he said he would do “everything possible” to support Ukrainian soldiers and service personnel injured during the three-year war with Russia.
Harry first travelled to Ukraine in April 2025, when he met victims of the war in Lviv.
The visit to the western Ukrainian region, which has frequently come under Russian missile attack, was not disclosed until after Harry had left the country.
Harry, 42, is the second member of the royal family to visit Ukraine. His aunt, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, became the first British royal to travel there since Russia’s 2022 invasion when she made an unannounced trip to Kyiv in 2024.