Angelina Jolie’s Surprise Visit to Mykolaiv and Kherson Nearly Disrupted After Recruiters Detain Her Driver

Angelina Jolie’s unannounced Ukraine trip almost derailed by recruitment checks

Angelina Jolie made an unannounced humanitarian visit to the southern Ukrainian cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson, meeting volunteers, medics and civilians sheltering from Russian attacks. Photographs from the trip showed the 50-year-old actress — known for Tomb Raider and extensive humanitarian work — visiting medical and educational facilities while wearing a flak jacket in a basement.

However, the visit briefly descended into uncertainty when a member of Jolie’s entourage, identified by Suspilne as Dmytro, 33, was stopped at a checkpoint a few hours north of Mykolaiv. Recruiters at the checkpoint detained him and took him to the regional recruitment centre after officials found he lacked military registration documents.

Family members said Dmytro completed training at Ukraine’s flight academy about a decade ago but did not serve in the armed forces. They added he holds a medical certificate citing a chronic back condition that makes him unfit for service. The Mykolaiv regional recruitment centre, however, said an inspection found he is a reserve officer without confirmed grounds for a postponement of mobilisation and that he could be suitable for non-combat roles such as logistics, communications, security or training.

Jolie and the rest of her convoy were allowed to continue their visit while Dmytro was questioned. The Telegraph reported that he was subsequently released and instructed to report to a recruitment office at a later date. Kyiv officials said they were not informed in advance about the actress’s trip and have opened inquiries into why the convoy was stopped and how recruitment officers handled the encounter.

“The information being spread in the media is distorted. An investigation is currently under way and all the circumstances are being clarified,” a Ukrainian military spokesman said, seeking to temper reports that Dmytro had been conscripted on the spot.

The Legacy of War Foundation, which supported Jolie’s front-line visit, said she toured medical and educational facilities and spoke with volunteers and civilians. In a statement published by the charity, Jolie praised the resilience of those living under constant threat: “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. The people of Mykolaiv and Kherson live with danger every day, but they refuse to give in.”

Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of Kherson’s regional administration, told state television he was grateful for the visit and the attention it brought to communities that can feel overlooked. Kherson has remained dangerous for civilians since its liberation from Russian occupation in November 2022, and a recent UN inquiry accused Russian forces of using drones to pursue civilians across the Dnipro River — conduct the UN said can amount to war crimes. Officials also reported that Ukrainian forces had shot down more than 2,500 Russian drones targeting the wider Kherson region.

This trip was Jolie’s second to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022; she previously visited Lviv to meet people displaced by the conflict.