Princess Anne made a surprise trip to Ukraine this week, shining a light on the deep struggles children face living through the ongoing conflict.

During her visit to Kyiv, the Princess Royal paid her respects at a memorial for young lives lost since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. She laid a small teddy bear at the shrine, a simple gesture symbolizing the innocence stolen from so many.

Anne met with children who were taken from their homes by Russian forces but later reunited with their families. She also visited the Child Rights Protection Centre, where staff work around the clock to support children who have been displaced or traumatized by war.

Ukraine estimates that more than 19,000 children have been deported or forcibly removed to Russia and Russian-occupied territories since 2022. Fewer than 2,000 have been brought back. Last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and his children’s commissioner over these alleged deportations. Moscow denies wrongdoing, claiming it has evacuated children for their safety.

Princess Anne also held talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska about the UK’s continued support for Ukraine. Together, they visited cultural and historic sites, including St Sophia’s Cathedral and the Kherson Cultural Exhibition, which commemorates the southern city’s liberation in 2022.

The Princess spent time with women in Ukraine’s police and armed forces, as well as injured veterans undergoing rehabilitation. Many of them, she heard, are living with conflict-related trauma but remain determined to carry on.

Anne’s visit follows that of her nephew, Prince Harry, who met with war-wounded veterans in Kyiv just weeks earlier. Other members of the Royal Family have also shown solidarity with Ukraine since the war began.

For the families and children she met, Anne’s visit was more than symbolic. It was a reminder that the world is still paying attention, and that their pain—and their resilience—has not been forgotten. Photo by Mirek Pruchnicki from Przemyśl, Sanok, Polska, Wikimedia commons.